MESSAGE 

EDWIN  W.  FISKE,  Mayor 

MOUNT  VERNON,  N.  Y. 

September  30,  1915 


lEx  HtbrtB 


SEYMOUR  DURST 


When  you  leave,  please  leave  this  hook 

Because  it  has  heen  said 
"Sver'thing  comes  t'  him  who  waits 

Except  a  loaned  hook." 


Avery  Architectural  and  Fine  Arts  Library 
Gift  of  Seymour  B.  Durst  Old  York  Library 


KNOW 

YOUR  CITY 


MESSAGE 
EDWIN    W.  FISKE,  Mayor 
MOUNT  VERNON,  N.  Y. 
September  30,  1915 


i^--^c:^         DO  YOU  KNOW  YOUR  CITY? 

DO  YOU  know  what  is  being  done  to  advance  the  moral,  civic, 
social,  industrial,  commercial  and  ph}'sical  welfare  of  Mount 
Vernon  ? 

Do  you  know  what  your  public  officials  are  doing  to  administer 
the  municipal  affairs  honestly,  intelligently  and  efficiently?  Do 
you  appreciate  their  difficulties  and  the  many  obstacles  to  be  over- 
come? Do  you  understand  our  present  municipal  needs?  Are 
your  city  improvements  planned  with  any  definite  end  in  view,  or 
are  they  carried  on  in  haphazard  fashion?  Don't  you  think,  honest- 
ly, away  down  in  your  heart,  that  you  ought  to  have  such  know- 
ledge in  order  to  be  fair  in  judging  your  public  officials  and  the 
progress  that  is  being  made? 

Do  you  know  what  the  city  is  doing  for  the  protection  of 
your  health  and  property  and  to  increase  your  comfort? 

Do  you  know  what  is  being  done  to  reduce  the  death  rate 
in  Mount  Vernon?  What  about  infant  mortality?  Are  we  pre- 
pared to  fight  an  epidemic?    Are  we  protected  against  plague? 

Are  there  proper  and  sufficient  public  facilities  for  play? 

How  do  our  educational  facilities  compare  with  those  of  other 
cities? 

Are  our  housing  conditions  all  that  they  should  be?  \\'hat 
is  being  done  to  assure  progressive  improvement? 

What  is  being  done  to  make  the  city  more  beautiful  and  more 
attractive  to  the  home  seeker? 

Do  you  know  what  products  are  manufactured  here?  \Miat 
do  they  represent  in  terms  of  capital,  brains  and  labor?  \Miat 
industrial  advantages  have  we,  and  how  can  they  be  increased? 

What  are  the  opportunites  for  the  commercial  expansion  of 
the  city?  Are  the  local  merchants  meeting  the  needs  of  the  public? 
What  about  transportation  facilities? 

How  do  the  taxes  compare  with  those  of  the  other  cities  in 
Westchester  County  on  a  per  capita  basis?  \^'hat  about  the  cost 
of  running  the  city  government? 


2 


Mount  Vernon,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  30,  1915. 


To  the  Honorable  the  Common  Council, 
City  of  Mount  Vernon,  N.  Y. 

Gentlemen : — 

Knowing  that  you  are  all  greatly  interested  in  the  growth  and 
development  of  our  city,  it  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  submit  here- 
with this  message,  which  I  consider  contains  much  \'aluable  in- 
formation regarding  the  City  of  Alount  Vernon. 

The  three  cities  of  Alount  Vernon,  Yonkers  and  Xew  Rochelle 
form  the  most  delightful  and  most  accessible  of  all  the  suburbs 
of  the  City  of  Xew  York.  They  stand  in  a  class  by  themselves, 
and  outdistance  all  competitors  by  their  superior  advantages. 

How  do  these  cities  compare  with  each  other? 

Which  one  has  the  greatest  advantages? 

POPULATION  AND  AREA. 

The  City  of  ]\lount  Vernon  was  created  by  an  act  of  the 
Legislature  of  the  State  of  Xew  York  on  the  22nd  day  of  ]\Iarch, 
1892.  It  is  almost  a  square,  being  about  two  miles  wide  between 
the  Hutchinson  River  on  the  east,  and  the  Bronx  River  on  the 
west,  and  about  two  miles  long  between  Xew  York  City  on  the 
south  and  the  Village  of  Bronxville  on  the  north.  Its  actual  area 
is  4.21  square  miles.  It  has  a  population  of  37,623  or  8,936  per 
square  mile.  These  figures  compare  with  those  of  the  cities  of 
Yonkers  and  Xew  Rochelle  as  follows : 


Area  in 

Population 

Square 

Per  Square 

Miles 

Population 

Mile 

Alount  Vernon   

  4.21 

37,623 

8,936 

Yonkers   

 17.98 

90,502 

5,032 

Xew  Rochelle   

 10.57 

31,754 

3,004 

Thus  Mount  Vernon  has  almost  three  times  as  many  in- 
habitants per  square  mile  as  Xew  Rochelle,  and  more  than  one  and 
three-fourths  times  as  many  per  square  mile  as  Yonkers. 

The  population  of  ]\Iount  \'ernon,  37,623  is  greater  than  that 
of  any  city  in  the  nine  states  of  \'ermont,  Mississippi,  Xevada,  Xew 
Mexico,  Arizona,  Xorth  Dakota,  South  Dakota,  Idaho  and 
Wyoming. 

There  is  only  one  city  in  each  of  the  following  named  eleven 
states  which  has  a  population  greater  than  that  of  Mount  \^ernon, 
to  wit:    Maine,    Xew  Hampshire,   ^laryland,    Louisiana,  North 

3 


Carolina,  Delaware,  Arkansas,  Utah,  Oregon,  Oklahoma  and 
Montana. 

There  are  only  two  cities  in  each  of  the  following  named  six 
states  which  have  a  population  greater  than  that  of  Mount  Vernon, 
to  wit :  \\'est  Virginia,  Kentucky,  Nebraska,  Colorado,  Florida 
and  South  Carolina. 

There  are  only  three  cities  in  each  of  the  following  named 
five  states,  which  have  a  population  greater  than  that  of  Mount 
Vernon,  to  wit:  Minnesota,  Rhode  Island,  Alabama,  Washington 
and  Kansas. 

There  are  only  four  cities  in  each  of  the  following  named  six 
states  in  which  the  population  is  greater  than  that  of  Mount 
Vernon,  to  wit:  Iowa,  Georgia,  Missouri,  Tennessee,  Virginia 
and  Wisconsin. 

Connecticut  and  Indiana  each  has  only  five  such  cities,  Illinois 
and  Michigan,  seven  each,  California  and  Ohio  nine  each,  Texas 
eight.  New  Jersey  12,  New  York  11,  Pennsylvania  15  and 
Massachusetts  17. 

Forty-three  of  these  cities  have  less  than  50,000  inhabitants, 
and  at  the  rate  Mount  Vernon  is  growing,  it  will,  in  a  very  few 
years,  pass  most  of  them. 

Mount  Vernon  now  ranks  in  population,  as  the  one  hundred 
and  seventy-fifth  city  in  the  United  States. 

In  population  per  square  mile,  it  stands  the  thirty-third. 

The  thirty-two  cities  which  exceed  Mount  Vernon  in  popu- 
lation per  square  mile  are  given  in  a  table  annexed  hereto. 

We  are  so  apt  to  regard  Mount  Vernon  simply  as  a  suburb 
of  New  York  City,  that  we  fail  to  realize  how  high  it  stands,  in 
comparision  with  the  other  cities  of  the  United  States,  in  popu- 
lation and  everything  else. 

HEALTH  OF  THE  CITY. 

One  of  the  most  important  matters,  perhaps  the  most  im- 
portant, in  the  selection  of  a  home,  is  the  healthfulness  of  the 
locality. 

In  that  respect  the  City  of  Mount  Vernon  excels  every  city 
and  county  in  the  State  of  New  York. 

The  population  of  the  whole  state,  according  to  the  last  census 
is  9, 773, (SI 7,  and  according  to  the  records  of  the  State  Board  of 
Health,  the  whole  number  of  deaths  in  the  state,  in  1914,  was 
144,427,  making  the  death  rate  per  1,000  of  inhabitants,  14.78. 

Where  Mount  Vernon  stands  : 


4 


DEATH  RATES  IN  1914. 

Per  1,000  Inhabitants. 

Deaths  Per 
Number  of        1,000  Inhabi- 
Popiilation  Deaths  tants 


Mount  Vernon  37,623  392  10.42 

New  Rochelle  31,754  362  11.40 

Yonkers   90,502  1,094  12.09 

Portchester   15,095  194  12.82 

Ossining   12,987  187  14.42 

White  Plains  17,523  259  14.73 

Peekskill   17,327  255  14.75 


The  death  rates  in  the  other  cities  of  our  state  run  from  11.8 
per  1,000  in  Tonawanda  to  26.1,  in  Ogdensburg,  as  shown  in  the 
table  annexed  hereto. 

The  death  rate  of  the  whole  state  is  41.8  per  cent,  greater  than 
it  is  in  Mount  Vernon;  in  New  York  City  it  is  41.6  per  cent, 
greater;  in  Yonkers,  it  is  16.6  per  cent;  and  in  New  Rochelle,  it 
is  15.7  per  cent. 

A  comparison  with  the  boroughs  of  New  York  City  is  as 


follows : 

Deaths  Per 

Deaths  in  1,000  of 

Population                 1914  Population 

Manhattan   2,103,266             36,033  17.1 

Brooklyn   1,803,191             25,009  13.8 

Bronx                                     612,493               7,221  11.6 

Queens                                    395,651               5,000  12.6 

Richmond                                 91,943               1,540  16.7 


5,006,544  74,803  14.76 

Thus  in  the  Borough  of  Manhattan,  the  Death  Rate  is  64  per 
cent,  greater  than  it  is  in  Mount  Vernon. 

In  the  Borough  of  Brooklyn  it  is  32  per  cent,  greater. 
In  the  Borough  of  Queens  it  is  21  per  cent,  greater. 
In  the  Borough  of  Richmond  it  is  60  per  cent,  greater. 
In  the  Borough  of  Bronx  it  is  11  per  cent,  greater. 
This  is  a  remarkable  showing. 

The  most  recent  mortality  statistics  issued  by  the  Census 
Bureau  of  the  United  States  are  for  the  year  1913.  According  to 
these  statistics,  there  are  only  six  cities  in  the  United  States  with 
a  population  of  over  35,000  each,  in  which  the  death  rate  is  less  than 
that  of  Mount  Vernon. 

These  six  cities  are  the  following: 

5 


Death  Rate 
Per  1,000 


Seattle,  Washington   8.37 

Spokane,  Washington  8.88 

Flint,  Michigan   9.31 

Berkeley,  California  9.43 

Portland,  Oregon  9.52 

Tacoma,  Washington  10.03 

Mount  \'ernon,  Xew  York  10.42 


Five  of  these  cities  are  on  the  Pacific  Coast  and  one  is  in 
Michigan.  All  the  rest  of  the  cities  of  the  United  States  having  a 
population  of  more  than  35,000  each  have  death  rates  greater  than 
that  of  ]\lount  Vernon. 

THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  HEALTH. 

As  President  of  the  Board  of  Health,  I  have  had  abundant 
opportunity  to  study  plans  of  life  and  health  saving,  here  and  else- 
where, and  I  believe  we  have  today  one  of  the  best  Health  Depart- 
ments of  any  city  of  the  size  of  ]\Iount  \'ernon,  in  this  or  any  other 
state. 

Under  the  able  direction  of  Dr.  Charles  Ouinn  we  have 
made  appreciable  progress,  as  the  following  items  of  information 
show : 

Our  death  rate  in  1913  was  13.4;  in  1914  it  was  10.42. 

Our  birth  rate  in  1913  was  24.8;  in  1914  it  was  25.7. 

The  deaths  of  children  under  one  year  of  age  in  1913  amounted 
to  84;  in  1914  to  74. 

The  Infant  Welfare  Station,  in  charge  of  Dr.  \\'alter  H. 
McNeill,  Jr.,  showed  an  attendance  for  the  summer  of  1915  of  112 
babies  as  against  a  total  on  the  roll  last  year  of  35.  The  number 
of  visits,  treatments  and  instructions  given  this  year  has  been  569, 
as  against  199  last  year. 

Our  two  Sanitary  Inspectors  made  8,111  inspections  in  1914. 

Our  Xurse  made  1728  visits  in  1914. 

During  the  summer  months  an  analysis  of  our  water  supply 
is  made  every  ten  days;  during  the  winter  it  is  made  once  a  month. 
4'he  milk  supply  is  subjected  to  regular  analyses. 

The  cost  of  the  Health  Department  for  1914  to  1915  was 
S12.345.  For  1915  to  1916  savings  have  been  effected  by  organi- 
zation, which  bring  the  cost  down  to  $11,725. 

CHARITY  DEPARTMENT. 

Our  Charity  Department,  in  1914,  issued  relief  orders  to  the 
number  of  3,374  and  ordered  194  physician's  prescriptions  filled. 
We  sent  38  poor  to  the  County  House  and  14  children  to  various 
institutions.    The  total  number  of  burials  was  24. 


6 


The  cost  of  the  Charit}-  Department  for  the  last  fiscal  year 
amounted  to  $36,550.73.  Of  this  we  paid  S7. 794. 71  for  groceries 
and  coal  supplied  to  the  needy  of  ]\Iount  \'ernon.  W'e  contributed 
S14,  088.53  for  the  care  of  the  poor  at  the  County  House.  \A'e 
gave  Sl.OOO  to  the  ]\lartha  \A'ilson  Home  and  S8,000  to  the  ^Mount 
\'ernon  Hospital. 


The  preservation  of  order  and  the  enforcement  of  our  laws  and 
ordinances  is  taken  care  of  by  our  Police  Department.  The 
administrative  head  is  the  Police  Commissioner,  appointed  by  the 
[Mayor,  who  receives  a  salary  of  Sl.OOO  per  annum,  out  of  which 
he  pays  a  secretary  S500.  Commissioner  Connor  has  won  for  him- 
self an  enviable  reputation  for  unquestioned  fairness  and  square 
dealing. 

The  Police  Department  consists  of  51  men  and  officers,  under 
the  command  of  Chief  Foley,  who  has  served  the  city  with  loyalty 
and  efficiency  for  many  }"ears.  AMten  a  patrolman  is  appointed, 
after  a  competitive  examination,  he  is  placed  on  probation  for  three 
months  and  receives  S65  per  month.  After  this  probationary 
period,  his  salary  for  the  first  year  is  $78.33  per  month  :  for  the 
second  year,  $88.33  per  month  :  for  the  third  year.  $98.33  per  month  ; 
after  that  he  is  paid  the  maximum  of  $108.33.  The  toal  salary 
appropriation  for  the  year  amounts  to  $71,280.  Two  per  cent,  is 
collected  from  every  man's  pay  for  the  Pension  Fund. 

The  Pension  Fund  amounts  to  about  Fifty-four  thousand  dol- 
lars. Three  pensions,  totaling  $1,740,  are  being  paid  from  it  at 
present.  The  income  from  Excise  monies,  the  two  per  cent,  collect- 
ed from  the  patrolmen,  gifts,  etc.,  add  to  the  Fund  over  and  above 
the  three  pensions  paid  each  year,  about  $5,000  per  annum. 

In  comparing  the  amount  of  police  protection  supplied  in 
]vIount  \'ernon,  Yonkers  and  Xew  Rochelle,  it  should  be  borne  in 
mind  that  the  Police  Departments  of  these  three  cities  compare 
favorablv  with  the  best  in  the  State  : 


Four  of  the  policemen  in  [Mount  \'ernon  are  motorcyclists  and 
five  are  bicyclists.  The  former  are  employed  largely  in  regulating 
the  speed  of  automobiles :  the  latter  have  taken  the  place  of  the 
mounted  police  and  have  proved  less  expensive  and  more  efficient. 

Our  Police  Department  is  justly  proud  of  its  new  Police  Head- 
quarters. It  is  one  of  the  most  complete,  up-to-date,  beautiful 
structures  for  such  a  purpose  in  the  United  States. 


POLICE  DEPARTMENT, 


[Mount 
A'ernon 

Xumber  per  thousand  of  population  1.43 

Xumber  of  policemen  and  other  employees.  51 


Xew 

Rochelle  Yonkers 

1.16  2.24 

37  205 


/ 


THE  FIRE  DEPARTMENT. 


I  cannot  speak  too  highly  of  our  Fire  Department.  Like  our 
Health  Department  and  our  Public  Library,  it  excels  in  its  useful- 
ness everything-  of  its  kind  in  the  State. 

The  National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters,  in  its  official  report 
issued  on  I\Iay  27,  \9\S,  shows  the  fire  loss  per  capita  of  population 
for  the  year  1914.  in  every  city  of  the  State  of  New  York  having 
more  than  20,000  inhabitants.  Mount  Vernon  heads  the  list  as 
having  had  the  smallest  per  capita  loss  of  any  of  these  cities.  Its 
hre  loss  ])er  capita  of  population  in  1914  compares  with  those  in 
the  other  cities  of  the  .^tate  of  New  York  as  follows: 

Fire  Loss 
Per  Capita 


1.  Mount  W'rnon  $  .59 

2.  Yonkers    1.49 

3.  New  Rochelle   1.75 

4.  New  York   1.44 

Manhattan  and  Bronx  Borough   1.61 

Brooklyn  and   (Jueens   1.21 

5.  (doversville    12.29 

().    Binghamton    6.24 

7.    Albany    5.46 

S.    Cdens  Falls   4.56 

9.    (3swego    4.31 

10.  Flmira    3.75 

11.  Troy    3.65 

12.  Bultalo    2.54 

13.  Kingston    2.50 

14.  Jamestown    2.49 

15.  Amsterdam    2.19 

]().    Rome    2.16 

17.  Watertown    2.13 

18.  Auburn    2.05 

19.  Syracuse    1.85 

20.  Cohoes   1.59 

21.  Schenectady    1.50 

22.  Utica    1.47 

23.  Poughkeepsie   1.38 

24.  ]>^ochester    1.23 

25.  Newburgh   61 


A  low  rate  or  a  high  rate,  for  a  given  year,  may  ha\e  been 
due  to  exceptional  circumstances:  but  Mount  \'ernon  has  had, 
for  man\-  \  ears,  \  cry  nearly  the  lowest  rate. 

8 


This  is  shown  by  the  following  table: 

Loss  Standing  in 
Per  Capita  State 

Ten  years  1900  to  1909  inclusive  1.37  4 

1910 '  80  4 

1911   83  3 

1912   96  4 

1913   1.29  4 

1914   59  1 

Thus,  in  fifteen  years,  Blount  \'ernon  was  first  in  1914.  second 
in  1908.  third  in  1911,  fourth  in  1910,  1912  and  1913.  and  on  the 
average,  from  1900  to  1909  inclusive. 

The  figures  for  1914  were  made  before  the  census  of  1915  was 
taken.  Based  on  the  latter,  the  comparison  between  Blount 
\'ernon.  Xew  Rochelle  and  Yonkers  is  as  follows: 


Year  1914. 

Loss  Per 

Population 

Total  Loss 

Capita 

Mount  Vernon  

 37,623 

$22,052 

$  .58 

New  Rochelle   

 31,754 

61,268 

1.74 

Yonkers   

 90.502 

138,916 

1.53 

The  \-alue  of  the  property  invoh-ed  in  th 

e  fires  in  ^NTount  W^rnon 

was  $1,030,144.  Hence 

loss  was  near]}'  1 

1-3  cents 

out 

of  every 

dollar. 

Mount  Vernon,  New  Rochelle,  Yonkers. 

Loss 

Loss 

Loss 

Per 

Per 

Per 

Standing 

Capita  Standing 

Capita  St; 

inding  Capita 

1900  to  1910  inc..  .4 

$1.37  6 

$1.58 

S1.44 

1911   3 

.83  6 

1.09 

14 

1.73 

1912   4 

.96  11 

1.47 

22 

3.38 

1913   4 

1.29  24 

8.69 

14 

2.49 

1914   1 

.58  6 

1.74 

8 

1.53 

During  the  past  five  years,  1910  to  1914  inclusne.  the  total 
losses  by  fire  in  Blount  \'ernon,  Xew  Rochelle  and  Yonkers  have 
been  as  follows  : 

1910  to  1914  Inclusive,  Total  Losses  by  Fire. 

Mount  W^rnon   8153,672 

Xew  Rochelle    447,498 

Yonkers    912,955 

The  people  should  bear  in  mind  that  the  cost  of  a  city  go\  ern- 
ment  should  not  be  measured  b}'  the  taxes  only,  but  b}-  the  losses 

9 


of  property  by  fire  and  burglaries,  and  the  losses  of  life  by  violence 
and  disease. 

Our  losses  by  fire  have  averaged  less  than  $31,000  a  year  for 
the  past  five  years,  while  those  of  Xew  Rochelle  have  averaged 
iibout  S90,000.  and  those  of  Yonkers  about  $182,000. 

Xo  other  city  in  the  State  of  Xew  York  can  equal  the  record 
of  Mount  \'ernon  in  this  respect.  Of  such  a  magnificant  showing 
the  citizens  of  ]\Iount  \'ernon  have  good  reasons  to  be  very  proud. 

To  Fire  Commissioner  Clarence  L.  Rowland  and  the  Chief 
Engineers  and  the  officers  and  firemen  under  them,  I  extend  my 
congratulations,  and  express  the  high  regard  in  which  the  Fire 
Department  of  the  City  of  ]\lount  \'ernon  is  held  by  the  people 
it  so  faithfully  serves. 

To  this  special  commendation  I  must  add  a  word  of  appreci- 
ation for  the  citizens  of  Blount  \'ernon  themselves  to  whom  no 
small  share  of  credit  is  due,  because  of  the  intelligent  manner  in 
which  they  care  for  their  homes  and  places  of  business. 

The  Pension  Fund  for  the  paid  firemen  of  the  Mount  \'ernon 
Fire  Department  was  started  October  1,  1914,  and  amounts  at  the 
present  time  to  the  sum  of  $2,046.60.  Two  per  cent,  is  collected 
from  every  paid  man's  pay  for  the  Pension  Fund. 

As  regards  cost  of  maintenance,  the  Fire  Departments  of 
Blount  Vernon,  X'ew  Rochelle  and  Yonkers  compare  as  follows : 

Cost  Per 
Total  Cost  Capita 

Mount  Vernon   $  44,000  $1.17 

Xew  Rochelle    37,433  1.18 

Yonkers    184,458  2.01 

The  Fire  Department  of  Mount  \'ernon  is  made  up  as  follows: 
One  Chief,  two  Deputies  and  one  Superintendent  of  the 

Alarm  System   4 

Paid  Firemen,  who  act  as  Engineers,  Chaufl:eurs,  Drivers, 
Tillermen,  Linemen,  Chemical  Attendants,  Trans- 
mitters and  Inspectors  for  Theatres  and  Special  Hazards.  .  25 
\'olunteer  Firemen   400 


429 

Single  Fire  Houses   5 

Double  Fire  Houses   2 

Chief's  Automobile    1 

Engines,  Trucks  and  Tenders  (of  these  six  are  autos )   15 

Horses    1^ 


10 


DEPARTMENT  OF  PUBLIC  WORKS. 

1.    Streets,  Avenues  and  Roads. 

This  Department  also  makes  a  splendid  showing.  Commis- 
sioner George  J.  Harlow,  appointed  by  the  flavor,  is  giving  the 
city  honest  service,  and  the  people  are  getting  full  value  for  the 
money  paid  out  for  improvements. 

Blount  \'ernon  has  88  miles  of  streets,  avenues  and  roads, 
all  but  twenty  miles  of  which  are  paved  and  kept  in  an  excellent 
state  of  repair. 

Eight  Thousand  Dollars  a  year  is  spent  for  oiling  our  streets, 
and  constant  and  careful  inspection  is  made  to  prevent  deterior- 
ation by  prompt  repair. 

AMth  160  miles  of  cement  or  flag  sidewalks,  with  almost  as 
many  miles  of  curb  and  gutter,  and  with  thousands  of  beautiful 
shade  trees,  the  highways  of  Mount  \'ernon  are  among  the  finest 
in  the  State. 


How  the  streets  of  Alount  \'ernon  compare  with  those  of  Xew 
Rochelle  and  Yonkers  is  shown  in  the  following  table  : 


Blount 

Xew 

Vernon 

Rochelle 

Yonkers 

Total  Area  of  Citv  in  Square  ]\Iiles  , 

421 

10.57 

17.98 

Total  ]\Iiles  of  Roads  

88.0 

95.00 

147.00 

Miles  of  Roads  per  Square  ^^lile 

20.0 

8.99 

8.12 

Miles  of  Sewers  

71.0 

60.00 

58.00 

Thus  per  square  mile  of  area,  Alount  \'ernon  has  2^4  times 
as  many  public  highways  as  Xew  Rochelle,  and  2^2  times  as  many 
as  Yonkers. 


2.    Sewerage  System 

In  sewers  also  Blount  \'ernon  is  far  ahead  of  Xew  Rochelle 
and  Yonkers  both  in  the  total  number  of  miles  and  per  square  mile 
of  area.  !Mount  \'ernon  has  16.1  miles  of  sewers,  Xew  Rochelle 
6.58  miles  and  Yonkers  3.23  miles,  per  square  mile  of  area. 

Mount  \'ernon  has  5  miles  of  sewers  for  every  one  in  Yonkers 
per  square  mile  of  area,  and  almost  3  miles  of  sewers  for  every  one 
in  Xew  Rochelle. 

The  Sewage  Disposal  Plant  in  ]\lount  \'ernon  is  one  of  the 
very  best  in  the  country. 

11 


3.    Lighting  System. 

In  street  lii^hting,  Mount  Vernon,  New  Roehelle  and  Yonkers 
compare  as  follows: 

^^o:lnt  New 
Vernon  Roehelle  ^'onkers 

Gas  Lights   L200  1,000  3,600 

Electric  Lights    900  960  1,332 

Total  2,100  1,960  4,932 

Per  Square  I\Iile  of  Area   477  186  274 

Per  Mile  of  Road   24  20  30 

Based  on  the  number  of  square  miles  of  area.  Mount  Vernon 
has  over  2^^  times  as  man}-  street  lights  as  New  Roehelle  and  1^ 
times  as  many  as  Yonkers. 

During  the  past  year  Mount  Vernon,  New  Roehelle  and  Yon- 
kers have  established  a  splendid  system  of  electric  lights,  known 
as  the  White  Ways,  on  some  of  their  principal  business  streets 
and  avenues.  The  result  is  highly  satisfactory.  Of  these  lights 
Mount  Vernon  has  708,  New  Roehelle  212  and  Yonkers  960. 

SHADE  TREE  COMMISSION. 

The  first  steps  toward  municipal  control  of  the  shade  trees  of 
Mount  Vernon  were  taken  by  the  Westchester  Woman's  Club  and 
resulted  in  the  appointment  by  the  ]\Iayor  of  a  committee  to  in- 
vestigate shade  tree  conditions  in  Mount  Vernon  and  other  cities 
and  suggest  the  line  of  action  to  be  followed.  After  detailed 
consideration  of  the  matter,  this  committee  made  two  recom- 
mendations, namely,  that  a  permanent  shade  tree  commission  be 
established,  and  that  a  city  forester  be  appointed. 

Pursuant  to  these  recommendations,  on  April  6,  1915,  an 
ordinance  Vv^as  passed  by  the  Common  Council,  providing  for  the 
appointment  of  a  shade  tree  commission  and  for  the  protection  and 
control  of  trees  and  shrubs  on  all  public  highways  and  parks.  Mr. 
Charles  W.  Sinnott,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  B.  Willcox  and  Mr.  John  R. 
Rockart  were  then  appointed  by  the  Mayor  to  serve  on  this  Com- 
mission. The  Commission  took  immediate  steps,  in  accordance 
with  the  above  ordinance,  to  hold  an  examination  and  appoint  a 
city  forester,  and  by  the  middle  of  July  of  the  current  year  the 
city  forester  had  been  sworn  in  and  acti\  e  work  was  commenced. 

Mount  Vernon  is  particularly  fortunate  in  having  such  a  great 
number  of  beautiful  shade  trees.  With  proper  care,  their  length 
of  life  will  be  materially  increased.  In  order  to  offset  the  number 
of  trees  vrhich  die  annually  it  will  be  necessary  to  set  out  several 
hundred  \  oung  trees  each  year,  and  this  planting,  which  has  here- 
tofore received  but  little  attention,  will  now  be  done  in  a  systematic 

12 


manner,  and  only  those  species  which  are  particularly  well  adapted 
to  our  local  conditions  will  be  used,  thus  insuring  a  maximum 
length  of  life  at  a  minimum  cost  to  the  city. 

The  greatest  need  which  requires  attention  all  over  the  cit}^ 
is  trimming  the  trees  for  head-room,  both  over  the  sidewalk  and 
the  roadways.  Dead  wood  in  the  trees  will  be  cleaned  out  as  fast 
as  conditions  permit.  Next  spring  active  work  will  be  commenced 
fighting  the  insects  which,  very  fortunately,  have  been  somewhat 
held  in  check  this  season  by  weather  conditions  unfavorable  to 
their  development. 

The  shade  trees  are  a  most  valuable  asset  of  the  city  and  too 
much  importance  cannot  be  laid  on  proper  foresight  in  the  select- 
ing and  planting  of  young  trees  as  well  as  the  care  and  treatment 
of  the  old  ones. 

PARKS  AND  PARKWAYS. 

Mount  Vernon  has  within  its  borders  about  60  acres  in  parks, 
playgrounds  and  parkways,  and  in  the  immediate  vicinity  there 
are  over  3,000  acres  of  parklands. 

It  has  44  acres  in  the  Bronx  Valley  Parkway,  which  extends 
along  its  entire  western  boundary.  It  has  6  acres  in  Hartley  Park, 
and  8  acres  in  the  High  School  playgrounds  and  athletic  field. 

On  the  west  side  of  the  Bronx  River,  Yonkers  has  264  acres 
of  the  Bronx  Valley  Parkway,  all  of  which  are  accessible  to  the 
people  of  Mount  Vernon. 

This  Parkway  extends  for  fifteen  miles,  two  to  the  south  to 
Bronx  Park,  with  its  684  acres,  and  twelve  miles  to  the  north  to 
Lake  Kensico  Park  with  its  4,000  acres. 

In  Bronx  Park  are  the  Botanical  and  Zoological  Gardens,  the 
finest  in  the  world. 

To  the  southeast  of  Mount  Vernon,  and  adjoining  it,  is  Pelham 
Bay  Park,  with  its  1,762  acres  and  twelve  miles  of  water  front. 
There  is  not  another  park  in  the  world  with  such  a  water  front,  and 
very  few  of  a  greater  area.  The  bathing,  boating  and  fishing- 
facilities  of  this  great  park  are  open  to  the  people  of  Mount  Vernon. 
The  same  is  true  of  the  golf  links,  tennis  courts,  baseball  grounds 
and  the  like  of  Pelham  Bay  Park  and  Van  Courtlandt  Park. 

Not  only  is  Mount  Vernon  surrounded  by  parks,  but  a  large 
part  of  the  city  is  made  up  of  residential  parks.  Nearly  one  half 
of  the  area  of  Mount  Vernon  is  restricted  to  residential  purposes. 
The  result  is  that  each  of  these  restricted  areas  is  a  beautiful  park. 
Among  these  are  Chester  Hill,  Villa  Park,  Primrose  Park,  Dar- 
wood,  Oakwood,  Lincoln  Manor,  Chester  Heights,  Corcoran  Manor, 
Langdon  Terrace,  Oakley  Manor,  Vernon  Heights,  Chester  Hill 

13 


Park,  Aubyn  Manor  and  others.  Many  of  the  residential  streets 
in  the  former  villages  of  Mount  Vernon,  Central  Mount  Vernon, 
West  Mount  Vernon  and  East  Mount  Vernon  are  equally  beautiful, 
with  fine  macadamized  roads,  lined  with  thousands  of  splendid 
shade  trees  and  flanked  with  well-kept  law^ns. 

THE  BUILDING  DEPARTMENT. 

The  following  is  a  comparison  of  the  new  buildings,  additions 
and  alterations  made  in  the  year  1914: 


Mount 

New 

Vernon 

Yonkers 

Rochelle 

New  Buildings   

 156 

299 

151 

Additions  and  Alterations 

 172 

89 

100 

Totals  

 328 

388 

251 

Value  of  same  , 

$766,472 

$1,401,500 

$617,673 

Value  per  square  mile  

174,199 

77,948 

58,436 

Thus  the  amount  expended  per  square  mile  in  1914  was  three 
times  as  much  in  Mount  Vernon  as  in  New  Rochelle,  and  2%  times 
as  much  as  in  Yonkers. 


For  the  past  ten  years  (1905  to  1914  inclusive)  the  number  of 
new  buildings  erected  in  the  City  of  Mount  Vernon  was  2,199  and 
the  number  of  alterations  and  additions  w^as  1,636,  making  a  total 
of  3,835,  the  value  of  which  was  $15,250,373  an  average  of  $1,525, 
037.30  a  year. 

During  the  first  six  months  of  this  year  (1915)  there  has  been 
a  marked  increase  over  1914  in  the  building  of  houses  in  Mount 
\'ernon.  During  the  past  six  months  plans  have  been  filed  with 
the  Building  Inspector  for  135  new  buildings  and  113  alterations 
and  additions,  making  a  total  of  248  against  328  for  the  whole 
of  1914. 

The  value  of  the  new"  buildings,  alterations  and  additions  dur- 
ing the  first  six  months  of  1915  is  $532,121  against  $766,472  for 
the  whole  of  1914. 

It  is  impossible  to  make  a  comparison  of  the  building  activities 
in  Mount  Vernon  with  those  of  New  Rochelle  and  Yonkers  for 
the  past  ten  years,  as  the  records  in  the  office  of  the  Building  In- 
spector in  Yonkers  run  back  for  only  five  years,  and  in  New 
Rochelle  for  only  three,  while  those  in  Mount  Vernon  run  back  for 
eight  years. 

Nevertheless  the  figures  are  interesting  and  instructive  as  far 
as  they  go,  and  compare  as  follow^s  : 

14 


Mount  Vernon. 

Xew  Buildings  Cost  of  Cost  Per 

and  Additions  Same  Square  Mile 

1914    328  S    766,472  S  182.059 

1913    389  1.042,705  247.673 

1912    384  1,661,565  394.671 

1,101  S  3.470.742  S  824,404 

1911    435  1.434,476  340,730 

1910    447  1.710.721  406,275 

1,983  S  6.843.151  $  1.625.451 
Yonkers. 

1914                               388  S  1.401.500  S  77.948 

1913                               659  4.262.800  236.822 

1912                               538  3.757.600  208,755 

1911                                545  2,920,600  162,255 

1910                               721  3,571,805  198,433 

2,463  $15,914,305  $  885,111 

New  Rochelle. 

1914                               251  S    617,673  S  58,436 

1913                               247  861.128  82.012 

1912                               250  1.197,698  114.066 

748  S  2.676.499  S  253.216 

Thus,  in  the  five  years  last  past.  Mount  W'rnon  put  up.  altered 
or  added  to.  1.983  buildings,  at  a  cost  of  S6.843.151. 

Yonkers,  in  the  same  period,  put  up.  altered  or  added  to.  2,463 
buildings,  at  a  cost  of  815.914,305. 

As  Yonkers  has  17.98  scjuare  miles,  and  Blount  \'ernon  only 
4.21  square  miles,  it  is  not  just,  in  comparing  the  two  cities,  to  take 
the  foregoing  totals.  On  the  contrary,  the  comparison  should  be 
made  per  square  mile.  On  that  basis  the  comparison  for  the  past 
five  years  stands  thus  : 

Per  Square  Mile  of  Area. 

}^Iount  \>rnon  Yonkers 

Xew  Buildings,  Additions,  etc  450.7  137.0 

Value  of  Same  81,555.262  $885,111 

For  the  past  three  years  Xew  Rochelle  compares  with  ]\lount 
\'ernon  per  square  mile  as  follows  : 

}^Iount  A'ernon       Xew  Rochelle 

Xew  Buildings,  Additions,  etc  250.0  70.8 

Value  of  Same  $  78S,80S  $253,216 

Hence,  per  square  mile  Mount  \'ernon  has,  in  the  past  five 
years,  spent  almost  twice  as  much  on  buildings  as  Yonkers,  and 
in  the  past  three  years,  over  three  times  as  much  as  Xew  Rochelle. 

15 


RAILWAY  FACILITIES. 

The  upper  seetion  of  the  Subway  Extension  on  W  hite  Plains 
Avenue  is  built.  It  runs  from  241st  Street  to  Burke  Avenue  in 
Williamsbridge,  about  1,000  feet  south  of  210th  Street  or  Gun  Hill 
Road,  which  is  the  main  avenue  running  east  and  west,  in  that 
part  of  the  Borough  of  the  Bronx. 

This  section  of  the  Subway  connects  at  Burke  Avenue,  with 
the  other  section  which  is  to  run  to  177th  Street,  and  there  connect 
with  the  Subwa}'  which  is  now  running  from  the  Battery  and  Flat- 
bush  Avenue  in  Brooklyn  to  Bronx  Park.  Less  than  half  a  mile 
of  this  extension  is  not  yet  built,  but  the  work  is  progressing 
rapidly,  and  the  whole  line  will  be  in  operation  in  a  few  months. 

All  the  trolle}'  lines  in  Mount  Vernon  will  run  to  the  241st 
Street  terminal,  so  that  one  will  be  able  to  travel  from  any  part 
of  our  city  to  the  Batter}^  or  to  Flatbush  Avenue,  in  Brooklyn, 
for  ten  cents. 

There  will  be  only  one  station  for  the  express  trains  between 
241st  Street  and  the  existing  terminus  of  the  Subway  at  177th 
Street.  That  will  be  at  Williamsbridge.  We  shall  make  as  good 
time  between  Mount  Vernon  and  177th  Street  as  we  now^  make  on 
the  New  Haven  Railroad,  and  what  we  shall  lose  in  time  at  the 
stops  between  177th  Street  and  42nd  Street  w^ill  be  no  greater 
than  the  time  we  now  lose  in  getting  ofif  a  train,  then  w^alking 
through  the  Grand  Central  Terminal  and  then  getting  on  a  Sub- 
^vay  train. 

WT'  now  have  336  trains  a  day  between  Mount  W^rnon  and 
Xew  York  City.  Of  these  55  are  on  the  Xew  Haven  Road,  74  on 
the  Harlem,  and  207  on  the  W^estchester. 

In  the  mornings  from  7  to  9  o'clock  the  trains  to  Xew  York 
on  the  X'^ew  Haven  Road  run  at  intervals  from  six  to  twenty-two 
minutes,  and  on  the  Harlem  Road,  from  four  to  twenty-four 
minutes. 

On  the  \\^estchester  Road  the  trains  run  regularly  for  18  hours 
in  the  day  at  intervals  of  twenty  minutes  from  6  A.  M.  until  mid- 
night, with  an  all  night  service  from  midnight  until  6  A.  M.  at 
intervals  of  less  than  an  hour. 

Although  the  road  has  been  in  operation  only  three  years  and 
is  only  twenty-two  miles  long,  it  is  carrying  more  suburban  pas- 
sengers than  either  the  X^ew  Haven,  the  Harlem  or  the  Hudson 
River  Division  of  the  X'ew  York  Central. 

It  is  suffering  at  present  from  the  lack  of  a  close  connection 
with  the  Subway  at  180th  Street.    This  it  will  have  in  a  few  months, 

16 


as  the  two  roads  will  be  less  than  a  hundred  feet  apart  at  ISOtli 
Street,  as  soon  as  the  Subway  extension  to  241st  Street  is  built. 

It  takes  only  nine  minutes  to  go  by  an  express  train  from  the 
East  Third  Street  Station  to  180th  Street,  and  it  takes  only  44 
minutes  to  go  from  that  point  to  the  Battery  by  a  Subway  express. 

Thus  allowing  five  minutes  for  the  transfer  at  180th  Street, 
it  will  take  less  than  an  hour  to  go  from  the  East  Third  Street 
Station  to  the  Battery,  every  twenty  minutes  in  the  day.  for  a 
single  fare  of  fifteen  cents. 

When  the  Subway  Extension  on  A\  hite  Plains  Avenue  will 
be  in  operation — only  a  few  months  hence —  it  will  take  only  53 
minutes  to  ride  from  241st  Street  to  the  Battery,  every  ten  minutes 
in  the  day  for  a  fare  of  five  cents. 

The  new  double-decked,  four  track  bridge  over  the  Harlem 
River  for  the  Second  and  Third  Avenue  Elevated  Railroads  has 
just  been  completed,  and  the  third  tracking  of  these  roads  for 
express  trains  is  almost  finished. 

The  Second  Avenue  Elevated  Railroad  trains  now  run  only  to 
129th  Street.  They  do  not  cross  the  Harlem  River.  \'ery  soon 
they  will  cross  the  river,  and  run  up  to  200th  Street  and  \A'ebster 
Avenue.  The  Elevated  Railroad  will  soon  be  extended  up  \\'ebster 
Avenue  from  200th  to  210th  Street  and  thence  easterly  along  210th 
Street  to  the  Subway  Extens"on  on  \A'hite  Plains  Avenue.  Thence 
the  elevated  railway  trains  will  run  up  \Miite  Plains  Avenue  to 
241st  Street  on  the  structure  already  built.  At  that  terminal  we 
shall,  in  a  very  few  months,  have  the  privilege  of  going  to  the 
Battery  for  five  cents,  every  five  minutes  in  the  day  on  the  Sub- 
way trains  or  the  Elevated  Railroad  trains.  The  express  trains 
on  the  Second  and  Third  Avenue  Elevated  Railroads  will  make  as 
good  time  as  the  Subway  trains  and  better  time  than  is  now  niade 
by  the  local  trains  on  the  Harlem  Railroad. 

In  less  than  eighteen  months,  the  Lexington  Avenue  Subwa}' 
will  be  in  operation,  and  will  connect  with  the  \\  estchester  Rail- 
road at  Hunt's  Point.  This  will  be  the  most  direct  line  into  and 
through  Xew  York  City  and  the  running  time  from  the  East  Third 
Street  Station  in  ]\lount  W^rnon  to  the  Battery  will  be  less  than 
forty  minutes. 

The  Interborough  Railway  Company  has  purchased  the  Cran- 
ford  Property  in  the  northern  part  of  the  Borough  of  the  Bronx 
and  adjoining  Blount  \'ernon  for  the  storage  of  its  cars. 

Some  time  ago  plans  were  prepared  for  a  Grand  Central  Termi- 
nal at  149th  Street  and  Fourth  Avenue  for  the  Xew  York  Central. 

It  is  probable  that  these  plans  will  be  taken  up  before  long  and 
the  station  built. 


17 


The  Subway  passes  under  the  traeks  of  the  Harlem  Road  at 
140th  Street  and  are  very  near  the  surface. 

W  lien  this  new  station  will  have  been  built,  a  direct  connec- 
tion will  be  made  at  149th  Street  so  that  those  passengers  who 
wish  to  take  the  Subway  at  that  point  can  do  so.    From  149th 
Street  to  Mount  W-rnon  is  about  five  miles  and  the  single  fare 
would  be  ten  cents  or  less. 

We  now^  have  eight  stations  on  the  three  trunk  lines  running 
through  our  city,  and  we  shall  have  another  very  soon  at  Grand 
Street  on  the  Harlem  Road. 

\\^ith  all  the  other  advantages  our  city  possesses,  its  pros- 
pects in  the  near  future  are  magnificent. 

44ie  railroad  facilities  of  Mount  Vernon  arc  greater  today,  than 
those  of  any  other  city  in  the  United  States  having  a  population 
of  less  than  250,000. 

In  addition  to  the  three  trunk  lines,  the  two  Subway  Roads 
and  the  tw^o  Elevated  Roads  I  have  referred  to,  there  are  ten  trolley 
lines  in  Mount  Vernon,  three  of  which  run  to  New  York  City  and 
connect  with  the  Subway  or  Elevated  Railroad. 

One  of  these  ten  lines  runs  to  White  Plains,  another  to  New 
Rochclle,  another  to  Tuckahoe,  two  to  Pelham,  and  another  to 
Yonkers. 

These  ten  lines  carry  millions  of  passengers  a  year  and  are  the 
means  of  enabling  hundreds  of  thousands  of  people  to  realize  what 
a  beautiful  city  of  homes  Mount  Vernon  is. 

In  a  few  months,  the  Harlem  Railroad  will  run  over  its  new 
road  bed  in  West  Alount  Vernon  and  thus  tw^o  dangerous  grade 
crossings  wall  be  removed.  Passengers  on  the  Yonkers  trolley 
line  will  then  go  from  the  heart  of  Mount  Vernon  to  the  Hudson 
River  in  Yonkers  without  a  change  of  cars.  This  line  is  now 
being  double  tracked.  When  that  is  done,  the  running  time  will 
be  shortened  by  several  minutes. 

The  New  York  Central  is  about  to  give  out  a  contract  for 
building  a  new  station  at  West  Mount  Vernon  which  is  to  cost 
$150,000,  and  it  will  soon  begin  the  building  of  a  new  station  at 
Grand  Street. 

At  this  point  a  beautiful  concrete  bridge  is  to  be  erected  im- 
mediately over  the  Bronx  River  and  the  Bronx  Parkway.  It  will 
in  the  near  future  become  one  of  the  most  important  highways 
between  Mount  Vernon  and  Yonkers. 

In  this  connection  the  beautiful  bridge  over  the  Bronx  River 
at  the  terminus  of  Mount  Vernon  Avenue  should  be  mentioned. 
It  is  one  of  the  ornamental  structures  of  the  City. 

18 


EDUCATION. 

Every  one  seeking'  a  home  is  \  ital]}'  interested  in  the  educa- 
tional facilities  which  are  furnished. 

In  this  respect  the  City  of  Mount  W'rnon  makes  a  splendid 
showing". 

There  are  twenty-five  cities  in  the  State  of  New  York,  each 
of  which  has  a  population  of  more  than  20,000.  Mount  Vernon  is 
the  twelfth  on  the  list,  with  a  popuhition  of  37,623. 

Of  this  population,  there  is  an  average  daily  attendance  in 
our  public  schools  of  6,348  or  1,648  out  of  every  10,000  inhabitants. 

In  this  regard  Mount  Vernon  outranks  every  city  in  the  State, 
having-  a  population  of  more  than  20,000.  New  Rochellc  is  a  close 
second,  Yonkers  is  fifth  and  New  York  City  is  eleventh. 

The  following  table  shows  the  standing"  of  each  city  therein  : 

Average  Attendance  and  Population  in  1914  in  Cities  of  More  Than 

20,000  Inhabitants. 


Average 

Ditto  1  er 

Daily 

10,000 

Population 

Attendance 

Inhabitants 

1. 

Mount  Vernon 

 37,623 

6,348 

1,687 

2. 

New  Rochelle  .... 

 31,754 

5,113 

1,610 

3. 

Watertown   

 26,909 

4,189 

1,556 

4. 

 37,839 

5,043 

1,333 

5. 

Yonkers   

 90,502 

12,021 

1 ,327 

6. 

Newburgh   

 27,645 

3,660 

1 ,324 

7. 

Schenectady   

 80,384 

10,217 

1,271 

8. 

Gloversville   

 21,177 

2,663 

1,257 

9. 

Kingston   

 20,546 

3,299 

1,243 

10. 

New  York  Citv 

5,0f)6,222 

627,118 

1,233 

11. 

Poughkeepsie   

 32,080 

3,614 

1,127 

12. 

Binghamton   

 55,905 

6,115 

1,094 

13. 

Syracuse   

 146,583 

1 5,463 

1,055 

14. 

Utica   

 82,434 

8,827 

1,071 

15. 

 25,428 

2,635 

1,036 

16. 

Buftalo   

454,112 

46,799 

1,036 

17. 

Elmira   

 39,847 

4,117 

1,033 

18. 

Niagara  h'alls  

 42,097 

4,282 

1,017 

19. 

 34,178 

3,303 

966 

20. 

Albany   

109,279 

9,904 

906 

21. 

Amsterdam   

 34,317 

3,001 

875 

22. 

Rome   

 23,868 

2,074 

869 

23. 

Rochester   

245,077 

20,838 

851 

24. 

Trov   

 74,009 

5,262 

711 

25. 

Cohoes   

. ,  ,23,^08 

1,525 

651 

19 


Mount  Vernon  has  a  teaching  force  of  237,  including  Principals 
and  Teachers  under  the  direction  of  an  able  Superintendent. 

It  has  also  a  thorough  medical  inspection  department  in  charge 
of  four  physicians  and  four  school  nurses. 

It  also  has  dental  clinic  in  which  children  who  would  other- 
wise be  neglected,  have  their  teeth  treated  free  of  charge. 

It  also  has  a  department  of  physical  education  for  both  boys 
and  girls  in  charge  of  highly  efficient  professional  directors. 

They  have  charge  not  only  of  the  physical  exercises  in  the 
schools  and  gymnasium,  but  also  on  the  athletic  fields  and  summer 
play-grounds. 

It  also  has  school  gardens  carried  on  under  the  supervision  of 
a  skilled  director. 

It  also  has  a  visiting  teacher  who  works  to  bring  the  school 
and  the  home  closer  together.  New  York  City  and  Rochester  are 
the  only  other  cities  in  the  State  of  New  York  w^hich  employ  such 
a  teacher. 

Mount  Vernon  also  has  ten  Home  and  School  Associations  in 
which  the  parents  and  teachers  meet  and  work  together  for  the 
good  of  the  school  children. 

In  addition  thereto  there  is  a  central  Council  of  the  Home  and 
School  Associations,  consisting  of  the  officers  of  the  several  local 
associations,  the  school  principals  and  the  superintendent  of  in- 
struction, acting  as  a  co-ordinating  body  to  bring  the  schools  and 
the  Home  and  School  Associations  into  a  working  harmony. 

I  regard  this  bringing  together  of  the  parents,  the  superin- 
tendents, the  principals  and  the  teachers  as  a  very  valuable  part 
of  our  school  system.  They  not  only  become  acquainted  with  each 
other,  but  they  are  enabled  to  work  together,  the  parents  learning 
what  the  teachers  are  striving  to  accomplish,  and  the  teachers  learn- 
ing the  difficulties  under  which  the  parents  and  children  labor  at 
home. 

The  visiting  teacher  in  this  connection  forms  a  very  important 
link  in  the  chain. 

The  Mount  Vernon  Public  Schools  also,  provide  for  individual 
instruction  for  needy  and  backward  pupils,  and  adjustment  classes 
for  those  who  are  slow  in  mastering  some  studies,  while  quick  and 
apt  in  others. 

The  theory  on  which  our  Public  Schools  are  conducted  is  not 
to  fit  the  child  to  a  hard  and  fast  system,  but  to  adapt  the  system, 
as  much  as  possible  to  the  needs  and  development  of  the  child. 

The  recent  establishment  of  an  Intermediate  or  Junior  High 
School  for  the  pupils  in  the  seventh  and  eighth  grades,  is  another 

20 


one  of  the  distinctive  and  admirable  features  of  our  Public  School 
system. 

In  this  school  the  work  is  adapted  to  the  vocational  needs  of 
the  pupils.  Those  who  have  little  aptitude  for  the  bookwork  of 
the  ordinary  classes  but  evince  a  skill  in  mechanical  work  are  en- 
couraged to  develop  the  latter  and  given  instruction  therein. 

Mount  Vernon  is  especially  proud  of  its  evening  schools. 
These  are  of  three  kinds,  the  Elementary,  where  those  who  wish  to 
learn  our  language  and  the  rudiments  of  an  education  are  taught; 
the  Commercial,  where  typewriting,  stenography,  commercial 
arithmetic  and  other  advanced  studies  are  taught;  and  the  Indus- 
trial Arts  School,  in  which  mechanics  and  others  who  desire  to 
learn  architectural  drawing,  mechanical  drawing,  printing,  wood- 
working and  other  branches  of  mechanical  labor  have  an  oppor- 
tunity to  do  so,  and  thus  fit  themselves  to  be  superintendents,  fore- 
men, master-mechanics  and  contractors. 

These  are  only  some  of  the  distinctive  features  of  our  Public 
School  System.  They  are  enough,  however,  to  show  why  the 
Public  Schools  of  ]\Iount  \>rnon  are  the  first  in  the  whole  state. 


Mount  \'ernon  has  three  high  schools,  and  one  intermediate 
high  school. 

Yonkers  has  three  high  schools  and  Xew  Rochelle  one. 

In  average  daily  attendance  in  the  High  Schools,  per  10,000 
of  population,  Blount  X'ernon  is  first  in  all  the  cities  of  the  State 
liaving  more  than  20.000  inhabitants.  Oswego  is  second,  Water- 
town  is  third,  Poughkeepsic  is  fourth,  Elmira  is  fifth  and  Xew 
Rochelle  is  sixth,  as  shown  in  the  following  table  : 

Comparison  Per  10,000  of  Inhabitants  for  the  Year  1914-1915. 


HIGH  SCHOOLS. 


Average 
Daily 

Attendance 


Xumber  of 
Graduates 


Entering 
Colleges  or 
Professional 
Schools 


1.  ]\Iount  \'ernon 

2.  Oswego   

3.  AYatertown  .  . 

4.  Poughkeepsie 

5.  Elmira   

6.  Xew  Rochelle 

7.  Gloversville  .  . 

8.  Jamestown  .  . . 

9.  Auburn   


239 
231 
209 
206 
205 
202 
192 
188 
163 


29.2 
23.6 
28.6 
18.4 
23.3 
22.0 
23.1 
28.8 
20.4 


16.5 
10.0 
9.4 
8.0 
12.1 
9.2 
6.9 
7.6 
5.9 


21 


Entering 

Average  Colleges  or 

Daily  Xuniber  of  I'rofessional 

Attendance         Graduates  Schools 

10.  Xewburgh   159  20.6  6.9 

11.  Rome                             .149  14.3  6.4 

12.  Syracuse   148  18.9  13.2 

13.  Kingston   139  11.3  9.3 

14.  Yonkers                            135  15.7  7.8 

15.  Niagara  Falls   134  13.6  5.9 

16.  Binghamton   127  17.4  6.6 

17.  Schenectady   114  14.8  10.3 

18.  Utica   121  16.6  6.1 

19.  Albany   107  16.3  6.4 

20.  Rochester                           82  12.5  7.5 

21.  Amsterdam                         92  9.6  3.8 

22.  Troy                                  80  8.5  2.9 

23.  Xew  York                          76  8.6  4.3 

24.  Buffalo                              82  11.8  4.6 

25.  Cohoes                               72  4.8  0.0 

The  total  number  of  the  i^'raduates  this  year  from  the  Ab)unt 
Vernon  High  School  was  164,  of  whom  54  took  the  two  }  ear  course 
in  the  Commercial  High  Schcjol. 

The  a\erage  daily  attendance  in  the  Hii^h  Schools  of  Abjunr 
Vernon,  Xew  Kochelle  and  ^^)nkers  for  1914-1^>15  was  as  follc^ws: 

Per  10,000 
Total  of  Population 

Mount  Vernon    894  230 

Xew  Rochelle   042  202 

Yonkers   1.218  135 

Thus  the  a\-erage  attendance  in  the  ]\Iount  \'ernon  High  School 
per  10.000  of  inhabitants,  is  1  1-5  times  that  in  Xew  Rochelle,  and 
1  4-5  times  that  in  Yonkers. 

Twice  a  year,  the  students  in  the  High  School  and  Academies 
of  the  State  are  examined  by  the  examiners  employed  by  the 
Regents  of  the  State  University.  In  some  High  Schools  and 
Academies  no  student  is  permitted  to  take  the  Regents'  Exami- 
nation, who  has  not  passed  a  preliminary  examination  conducted 
by  the  High  School  teachers.  In  this  way,  the  doubtful  ones  are 
eliminated.  In  Mount  \  ernon  there  is  no  such  preliminary  test 
or  weeding  out.  Xevertheless,  Alount  \'ernon  ranks  third  of  all 
the  cities  in  the  State  having  a  population  of  more  than  20,000  each, 

22 


as  shown  in  the  following  table 


Percentage  of 
Perfection 


1.  Watertown   92.6 

2.  Yonkers   87.4 

3.  ]^Iount  \>rnon   83.6 

4.  Xew  Rochcllc   817 

5.  New  York  (05.1  to  70.7)  81.5 

6.  Amsterdam   80.1 

7.  Kingston  78.2 

8.  Elmira   77.5 

9.  Auburn   76.5 

10.  Troy   75.7 

11.  Utica   75.4 

12.  Xewburgh   73.7 

13.  Syracuse   73.6 

14.  Jamestown   73.4 

15.  Rochester   73.2 

16.  Poughkeepsie   72.2 

17.  Buffalo   72.1 

18.  GloversviUe   70.9 

19.  Schenectady   68.1 

20.  Niagara  1-alls   67.8 

21.  P)ing"hamton   66.3 

22.  Rome   64.1 

23.  Oswego   63.3 

24.  Albany   55.6 


V[\  c  facts  speak  \  olumes  for  the  intelligence  and  public  spirit 
of  the  people  of  IMount  A'ernon,  Xew  Uochelle  and  Yonkers.  and 
for  the  excellence  of  their  public  school  system  : 

First.  In  the  Average  Daily  Attendance  in  their  public  schools 
Blount  \Arnon  stands  first  among  all  the  cities  of  the  State,  having 
more  than  20.000  inhal^itants.  Xew  Rochelle  second  and  ^'onkers 
fifth. 

Second.  in  the  Average  Daily  Attendance  in  the  High 
Schools,  Blount  \Arnon  is  first,  Xew  Rochelle  is  sixth  and  Yonkers 
is  sixteenth. 

Third.  In  the  number  of  graduates  last  year  from  the  High 
Schools  in  the  cities  referred  to  above,  ]\Iount  \'ernon  is  first,  Xew 
Rochelle  sixth  and  Yonkers  is  eighteenth. 

Fourth.  In  the  number  of  these  graduates  who  are  about  to 
enter  colleges  and  professional  schools,  Mount  \'ernon  is  first. 
Xew  Rochelle  is  sixth  and  Yonkers  is  eleventh. 

Fifth.  In  the  Regents'  Examination  last  year,  Yonkers  is 
second.  Mount  W-rnon  is  third  and  Xew  Rochelle  is  fourth. 

23 


Although  W'atcrtown  excelled  Mount  Vernon  in  the  Ivegents' 
Examination  last  year,  we  sent,  out  of  every  10,000  inhabitants, 
16.5  to  colleges  and  professional  schools,  while  Watertown  sent  only 
8.7  and  New  York  City  only  3.7. 

The  Mount  Vernon  High  School  was  organized  in  September 
1894  with  three  teachers  and  74  pupils.  The  Academic  Depart- 
ment moved  into  its  new  High  School  on  Gramatan  Avenue  in 
September,  1914  with  36  teachers  and  859  students. 

The  first  graduating  class  received  their  diplomas  in  June,  1896 
and  numbered  ten.  The  Class  of  1915,  which  graduated  last  June, 
numbered  108. 

During  the  twenty-one  years  of  its  existence,  the  Mount 
Vernon  High  School  has  had  on  its  rolls  1837  boys  and  2153  girls, 
an  aggregate  of  3,990. 

The  total  number  of  graduates  to  date  is  1,025  of  whom  405 
are  boys  and  620  girls. 

The  graduating  classes  from  1904  to  1914  inclusive  numbered 
708  members,  of  whom  520,  more  than  73  per  cent,  entered  colleges 
and  other  institutions  for  the  higher  or  professional  education. 
These  numbers  do  not  include  students  matriculating  in  business 
colleges  or  schools  of  music. 

Many  graduates  of  the  Mount  Vernon  High  School  have 
achieved  distinction  in  the  professional  and  business  w^orld.  They 
comprise  lawyers,  doctors,  teachers,  clergymen,  bankers  and  super- 
intendents, and  are  represented  in  many  other  callings  of  dis- 
tinction. Some  of  them  have  served  on  the  Bench,  in  the  Legis- 
lature and  in  other  high  offices  in  the  gift  of  the  people. 

In  addition  to  the  semi-annual  Regents'  Examination,  the 
University  of  the  State  of  New  York  conducts  examinations  for 
Certificates  of  College  Entrance.  Those  High  School  students 
who,  in  their  four  years  course,  attain  a  certain  high  standing  in 
the  Regents'  Examinations  are  awarded  these  Certificates.  There 
were  155  of  them  given  this  year  in  Westchester  County.  Of 
these  the  graduates  of  the  iMount  Vernon  High  School  received 
51 — practically  one  third.  As  the  population  of  Westchester 
County  is  about  325,000,  the  City  of  Mount  Vernon  with  its  37,623 
inhabitants  has  about  11.5  per  cent,  of  the  whole  number. 

Mount  Vernon's  pro  rata  share  of  the  College  Entrance  Certifi- 
cates would  be  less  than  18,  yet  we  won  51. 

The  Regents  of  the  University  of  the  State  of  New  York  give 
twenty  scholarships  every  year  to  the  High  School  Graduates  in 
the  whole  County  of  Westchester,  who  stand  at  the  head  of  the  list 
of  those  given  College  Entrance  Certificates.  This  year  the  Mount 
Vernon  High  School  graduates  won  7  of  these  scholarships,  those 

24 


from  the  Yonkers  High  School  won  6,  those  from  the  New  Rochelle 
High  School  won  2.  Ossining  won  3,  White  Plains  1  and  North 
Tarry  town  1. 

Thus  Mount  Vernon  with  11^  per  cent,  of  the  population  of 
Westchester  County  takes  33  per  cent,  of  the  College  Entrance 
Certificates  and  35  per  cent,  of  the  Scholarships  awarded  by  the 
University  of  the  State. 

The  graduates  of  the  Mount  \'ernon  High  School  have  won  in 
open  competition,  23  scholarships  in  Cornell  University,  4  appoint- 
ments to  the  W^est  Point  Military  Academy  and  2  to  the  Naval 
Academy  at  Annapolis.  They  have  also  won  a  number  of  scholar- 
ships in  the  New  York  University. 

From  its  inception,  the  Mount  Vernon  High  School  has  had 
for  its  Principal,  Prof.  A.  B.  Davis,  and  to  him,  in  a  large  degree 
is  to  be  credited  the  magnificent  growth  and  the  si)lcndid  record 
of  the  crowning  glory  of  our  educational  system. 

HIGH  SCHOOL  ATHLETICS. 

In  athletics  as  well  as  in  scholarships,  the  Mount  \'ernon  High 
School  stands  first  in  Westchester  County,  and  holds  its  own  with 
the  High  Schools  of  New  York  City. 

In  1902  the  Westchester  Interscholastic  Athletic  Association 
was  organized.  There  are  six  High  Schools  in  it,  to  wit:  those 
of  ]\Iount  Vernon,  Yonkers,  New  Rochelle,  White  Plains,  Port- 
chester  and  Marnaroneck.  Since  its  organization,  the  Alount 
Vernon  High  School  has  won  the  following  championships  : 

Track  and  Field  Events  in  1903,  1907,  1908,  1910,  1913  and 
1915 — six  times. 

Basketball  in  1903,  1907,  1908,  1909,  1910,  1911,  1912  and  1915— 
eight  times. 

Football  in  1908  and  1911  and  a  tie  with  New  Rochelle  in  1913. 

Baseball  in  1908  and  1910. 

Tennis  in  1914  and  1915. 

Cross  Country  Run  in  1915. 

In  1907  we  won  2  Championships. 

"  1908    "  4  •• 

"  1909    "     "  1 

"  1910    "  3 
1911    "  2 

.  1912    "     -  1 

-  1913        "  iy2 

"  1914    "     "  1 

"  1915    "     "  4 

In  this  record  our  triumphs  in  the  Track  and  Field  Events 
have  been  counted  as  only  one  championship  in  each  year. 

25 


In  1912  one  of  our  High  School  Graduates  who  entered  Columbia 
University,  H.  S.  Babcock,  won  the  Olympic  Championship  at  the 
International  Games  in  Stockholm,  and  was  the  Intercollegiate 
Champion  of  the  United  States,  in  the  pole  vault. 

Harold  Phipps  was  the  manager  of  the  Columbia  Varsity 
wrestlers  in  19L3  and  Vincent  Jones  in  1914. 

In  one  year,  High  School  students  won  the  County  Champion- 
ship in  Football,  Baseball,  Track  Events  and  Basketball,  defeating 
in  the  latter,  the  Interscholastic  Champions  of  New  York  City. 

During  the  past  two  years,  our  High  School  students  have  won 
the  championship  in  Tennis.  Herbert  L.  Bowman,  who  has  just 
graduated  has  been  the  champion  not  only  in  the  Westchester 
County  Interscholastic  Athletic  Association,  but  in  Westchester 
County  at  large. 

In  l^\)otball  and  Baseball  our  High  School  students  have  not 
won  as  many  championships  as  in  the  Track  Events,  and  Basket- 
ball, because  they  have  not  had  a  suitable  athletic  field;  but  as 
they  will  have  one  ready  next  year,  there  is  no  doubt,  they  will 
excel  in  these  athletic  sports  as  well  as  in  the  others. 

There  are  about  thirty  graduates  of  the  Mount  Vernon  High 
School  who  are  now  students  in  Columbia  University.  Of  these 
at  least  one  has  been  on  every  Freshman  Crew  which  has  com- 
peted in  the  annual  regattas  at  Poughkeepsie  since  1911.  One  of 
them,  Oscar  B.  Myers,  the  son  of  Dr.  S.  Oscar  Myers,  was  the 
stroke  oar  of  the  Junior  Varsity  Crew  in  1914  and  1915,  as  well 
as  a  member  of  the  Freshman  Crew  in  19L3.  Irving  \W  Hadsell 
was  the  Captain  of  the  Columbia  Varsity  Crew  which  won  the 
championship  at  the  Poughkeepsie  Regatta  in  1914,  and  rowed 
number  seven  in  the  boat.  He  was  also  in  the  Freshman  Crew  in 
1911.  Harry  Bird  was  the  Coxswain  of  that  crew.  Herbert  M. 
Tichborne  was  on  the  Freshman  Crew  in  1914  and  on  the  Varsity 
Crew  in  1915.  Charles  W.  Cronenberg  was  on  the  Freshman  Crew 
in  1912,  the  Varsity  Four  in  1913,  and  the  Junior  Varsity  in  1914 
and  1915.  n 

When  we  consider  that  there  are  over  13,000  students  in 
Columbia  University  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  the  High  School 
of  Mount  Vernon  has  just  cause  to  be  proud,  and  the  citizens  of 
Mount  Vernon  have  just  cause  to  be  proud  that  in  the  champion- 
ship crews  of  Columbia  our  High  School  has  been  represented  every 
year  from  1911  to  1915  inclusive,  by  one  or  more  representatives, 
having  in  1914  the  Captain  of  the  Varsity  Champion  Eight  and 
three  of  the  Junior  Varsity  Eight.  There  is  not  another  High 
School  or  Preparatory  School  in  the  United  States  which  can  equal 
this  record. 


26 


PLAYGROUNDS  AND  SCHOOL  GARDENS. 

Mount  Vernon  has  seven  playgrounds  and  four  school  gardens, 
which  were  open  to  the  children  during  the  past  summer.  They 
were  maintained  under  the  auspices  of  the  Board  of  Education  and 
the  Playground  Commission  appointed  by  me.  Instructors  or 
leaders  were  in  charge  of  these  grounds  and  gardens.  They  com- 
bine work  and  play,  instructing  the  children  in  several  kinds  of 
hand-work,  such  as  making  of  mats,  kites,  hammocks,  hand-bags, 
doilies  and  small  picture  frames.  The  children  are  also  instructed 
in  folk  dances,  singing-games  and  baseball. 

Although  the  High  School  Athletic  Field  has  not  yet  been 
developed,  it  has  been  used  as  a  baseball  field  during  the  past  sum- 
mer. A  Junior  and  Senior  Baseball  League  comprising  eleven 
school  teams  has  been  organized.  On  this  field,  four  field  and  track 
meets  open  to  all  boys  in  Mount  Vernon  were  held  this  past  sum- 
mer, and  each  one  was  a  great  success. 

A  large  number  of  boys  in  the  higher  grades  of  the  Grammar 
Schools  availed  themselves  of  the  use  of  the  apparatus  in  the  Gym- 
nasium of  the  High  School  during  the  summer,  under  a  competent 
instructor. 

In  the  four  school  gardens  about  200  boys  and  girls  took 
advantage  last  summer  to  learn  how  to  care  for  and  cultivate 
flowers  and  vegetables. 

The  total  attendance  at  the  playgrounds  was  41,930 — an 
average  of  940  a  day. 

At  the  school  gardens,  the  average  daily  attendance  was  185. 

In  his  report  to  the  Board  of  Education,  the  Superintendent 
of  Instruction,  Dr.  William  H.  Holmes  says : 

"The  $1,000  voted  by  the  Board  of  Aldermen  and  expended 
''under  the  direction  of  the  Playground  Commission  made  it  pos- 
"siblc  to  establish  the  four  playgrounds  at  Hartley  Park,  the  High 
"School,  South  Seventh  Avenue  and  South  Thirteenth  Avenue 
*'which  gave  supervised  play  and  enjoyment,  as  well  as  a  large 
''amount  of  profitable  occupation  in  the  way  of  handwork,  to  an 
"average  of  940  a  day. 

"This  good  work  on  the  part  of  the  Board  and  the  City  should 
"be  continued  and  extended  the  coming  year.  No  one  can  estimate 
"the  benefit  which  comes  from  having  so  large  a  number  of  children 
"and  youth  of  the  City  engaged  in  properly  supervised  play  during 
"the  summer  vacation.'' 

The  total  cost  of  carrying  on  the  seven  playgrounds  and  the 
four  school  gardens  was  about  $2,532 — a  little  over  5  cents  a  day 
for  each  child. 

I  think  that  we  have  done  more  than  any  other  city  in  the 

27 


State  of  New  York,  in  solving  the  problem  what  to  do  during 
the  summer  vacation  with  the  children  who  are  compelled  to  stay 
at  home.  I  believe  they  get  as  much  enjoyment,  instruction  and 
outdoor  exercise  as  many  of  those  who  go  into  camps  or  spend  their 
vacation  in  the  mountains  or  at  the  seashore. 

Physical  Training  lessons  are  given  during  the  year  in  all  the 
Grammar  Schools  and  the  first  year  of  the  High  Schools  under 
competent  instructors  for  both  boys  and  girls. 

Outdoor  sports  are  also  provided  in  season,  such  as  field  hockey, 
tennis,  baseball  and  football,  track  and  field  events. 

The  attention  given  in  the  Mount  Vernon  Schools  to  the 
physical  condition  of  the  children  and  to  their  physical  development 
has  much  to  do  with  the  health  record  of  the  city  and  w^ith  the 
splendid  results  they  have  achieved  in  their  studies. 

THE  COMMERCIAL  HIGH  SCHOOL. 

This  branch  of  our  school  system  was  created  fifteen  years  ago, 
and  the  results  achieved  by  it  have  been  phenomenal. 

It  now  has  358  students,  and  about  40  per  cent,  of  the  graduates 
of  the  Grammar  Schools  enter  it. 

The  full  course  of  study  covers  four  years,  embracing  steno- 
graphy, typewriting,  bookkeeping,  commercial  geography,  com- 
mercial arithmetic,  banking  and  almost  every  branch  of  instruc- 
tion to  fit  a  young  man  or  w^oman  for  business. 

It  also  has  a  two  year  course  especially  adapted  to  those  who 
desire  to  become  stenographers,  typewriters  and  bookkeepers. 

But  this  is  not  all.  Our  Commercial  High  School  is  not  merely 
a  "Business  College."  It  is  a  High  School  in  which  a  liberal 
education  is  given  in  English  Literature,  Mathematics,  History, 
Biology,  Physics  and  German. 

This  year  it  had  54  graduates. 

Last  year  the  number  was  44,  and  every  one  obtained  a 
position  in  a  very  short  time.  The  total  number  of  graduates  is 
about  460,  and  the  total  number  of  students  who  have  profited  by 
the  instruction  given  in  the  school,  sufficiently  to  earn  their  living 
as  stenographers,  typewriters,  bookkeepers,  salesmen,  accountants 
and  the  like  is  over  900.  They  earn,  in  the  aggregate,  over  $750,000 
a  year. 

The  cost  of  the  school  is  between  $16,000  and  $17,000  a  year. 

It  is  one  of  the  most  profitable  investments  the  City  of  Mount 
Vernon  ever  made. 

Many  of  its  students  have  taken  up  advanced  work  in  other 
educational  institutions.  Among  these,  two  are  teachers,  one  a 
surveyor,  three  lawyers,  two  doctors,  two  state  engineers  and  one 
an  architect. 

28 


Many  of  them  have  established  themselves  in  business. 

For  five  years  there  were  annual  contests  in  typewriting  and 
stenography,  in  which  all  the  commercial  schools  of  the  county 
competed.  The  Mount  Vernon  Commercial  High  School  won 
every  contest,  and  for  three  years  past  has  not  had  a  challenger  or 
competitor. 

Last  year  it  entered  the  competition  in  New  York  City  in  type- 
writing for  students  from  the  Suburban  Day  High  Schools. 

The  first  prize,  a  gold  medal,  was  awarded  to  Daniel  Stubing, 
a  pupil  in  our  Commercial  High  School,  who  won  with  a  net  rate 
of  88  words  per  minute. 

The  second  prize,  a  silver  medal,  was  won  by  Charles  E.  Kuhn, 
a  pupil  in  our  Commercial  High  School,  who  won  with  a  net  rate 
of  71  words  per  minute. 

There  was  also  a  contest  for  Novices,  who  had  not  written  for 
a  record  in  any  previous  contest.  This  was  open  to  any  and  all  in 
New  York  City  and  its  suburbs.  One  of  the  pupils  in  the  Mount 
Vernon  Commercial  High  School  took  the  third  prize. 

From  its  commencement,  the  school  has  had  for  its  Principal, 
Mr.  Clyde  O.  Thompson,  and  to  him  is  due  very  much  of  the  credit 
the  Commercial  High  School  of  Mount  Vernon  has  earned. 

SCHOOL  OF  THE  INDUSTRIAL  ARTS. 

The  City  of  Mount  Vernon  seeks  to  give  every  boy  and  girl 
in  its  limits  a  Grammar  School  Education.  Of  the  graduates  from 
the  Grammar  Schools,  some  enter  the  Academic  High  School, 
some  the  Commercial  High  School  and  some  the  High  School  of 
the  Industrial  Arts. 

The  last  named  is  only  four  years  old,  and  is  as  yet  in  a  forma- 
tive state;  but  our  Board  of  Education  is  evolving  a  course  of  study 
in  it  which  will  make  it  one  of  the  best  features  in  our  High  School 
System. 

During  the  past  four  years  2750  students  have  been  registered 
in  the  day  and  evening  classes,  mostly  the  latter.  A  large  number 
of  the  young  mechanics  in  our  city  avail  themselves  of  the  oppor- 
tunities this  school  aft'ords  at  night,  to  fit  themselves  to  become 
superintendents,  foremen  and  master-mechanics,  and  to  enter  into 
business  for  themselves. 

For  the  girls  there  are  classes  in  cooking,  millinery  and  dress- 
making. For  the  boys  there  are  classes  in  electrical  work,  wood- 
working, metal-working,  the  use  of  the  lathe  and  printing. 
Mechanical  and  Architectural  Drawing  receive  special  attention. 

The  object  of  this  High  School  is  not  merely  to  make  mechanics 
but  to  fit  the  students  for  directive  work,  that  is  to  enable  them  to 

29 


be  superintendents,  foremen  and  master-mechanics ;  to  give  them 
such  knowledge  of  mathematics,  chemistry,  physics  and  drawing, 
as  will  enable  them  to  be  masters  of  the  work  in  which  they  are 
engaged.  It  will  take  some  time  to  adapt  this  school  to  the  needs 
of  the  community  and  its  surroundings,  but  I  believe  it  will,  be- 
fore long,  become  one  of  the  most  important  features  of  our  Edu- 
cational System. 

THE  PUBLIC  LIBRARY. 

The  University  of  the  State  of  Xew  York  issues  quarterly  a 
magazine  entitled  New  York  Libraries.  In  the  number  of  Novem- 
ber, 1912,  the  editor  says  : 

"The  Public  Library  of  Mount  Vernon  has  the  distinction  of 
''circulating  more  books  than  any  other  library  in  the  State  belong- 
"ing  to  cities  of  between  25,000  and  35,000  population." 

In  the  number  of  November,  1913,  the  editor  said : 

"The  Mount  Vernon  Library  reports,  for  the  past  year,  157,474 
"volumes  issued  for  home  reading,  the  largest  figure  reported  by 
"any  library  system  operating  in  a  city  of  a  similar  size.  The 
"issue  to  children  numbered  37,338  volumes,  of  which  nearly  50 
"per  cent,  was  non-fiction." 

The  comparison  with  New  Rochelle  and  Yonkers  for  1914  is 
as  follows : 

Aloiint  Vernon       Xew  Rochelle  Yonkers 

Books  in  Library   31,378  33,378  32,655 

Issued  for  Home  Use  185,878  118,973  208,161 

Issued  per  1,000  of 

Population    4,928  3,747  2,274 

Thus  the  number  issued  out  of  the  Public  Library  of  Mount 
Vernon  is  almost  57  per  cent,  greater  per  1,000  inhabitants  than  in 
New  Rochelle  and  116  per  cent,  greater  than  in  Yonkers.  In  other 
words,  the  number  taken  out  in  Mount  Vernon  is  1  1-3  times 
greater  than  in  New  Rochelle  and  2  1-8  times  greater  than  in 
Yonkers. 

The  New^  Rochelle  Public  Library  ranks  next  to  ours  in  the 
number  of  books  issued.  Of  the  other  cities  of  the  state  the  next 
ten  are  in  the  following  list : 

Circulation 

Per  1,000  of  Full 
Population  Population 

Mount  Vernon  4,928  37,623 

New  Rochelle   3,747  31,752 

Poughkeepsie   3,690  30,534 

Buffalo   3,568  461,335 

Binghamton   3,335  55,901 

30 


Circulation 

Per  1,000  of  Full 
Population  Population 

Brooklyn   2,931  1,990,614 

Svracuse   2,878  152,534 

Utica  2,799  83,876 

Albany   ....2,646  103,580 

Schenectady   2,373  95,265 

Yonkers  .   2.274  91,543 

Rochester    1,451  250,747 

Troy   1,421  77,738 

For  this  splendid  showing,  which  places  Mount  Vernon  far 
ahead  of  all  cities  in  the  State,  our  thanks  are  due  to  Messrs.  Charles 
C.  Roberts,  A\^illiam  F.  Gay,  Maitland  B.  Sloat,  William  P.  Brinck- 
erhoff  and  Edwin  L.  Ford,  who  constitute  the  Library  Board, 
and  especially  to  the  Librarian,  ^liss  Francis  Banner  Thomson  and 
her  efficient  assistants. 

BOARD  OF  ASSESSORS  AND  VALUATION  OF 
REAL  ESTATE. 

The  Board  of  Supen*isors  of  Westchester  County,  after 
a  careful  investigation,  determined  last  year  that  the  assessed  valu- 
ation of  the  real  estate  in  the  City  of  Alount  Vernon  is  80  per  cent, 
of  its  full  value,  in  the  City  of  Xew  Rochelle  80  per  cent.,  and  in 
the  City  of  Yonkers  75^  per  cent. 

Thus  the  assessed  valuation  and  the  full  valuations  of  the  real 
estate  in  these  three  cities  compare  as  follows  : 

Assessed  Full  Full  A'aluation 

\'aiuation  \*aluation  Per  Acre 

Mount  Vernon  .  . .  .$  39,578,492  $  49,473,115  $17,568.57 

Xew  Rochelle    40,837,281  51,046,601  7,545.91 

Yonkers    114,080,686  151,100,246  13,130.93 

It  follows  from  these  figures  that  real  estate  in  IMount  Vernon 
is  worth  almost  2  1-3  times  as  much  per  acre  as  it  is  in  X'ew 
Rochelle,  and  over  133  1-3  per  cent,  what  it  is  worth  in  Yonkers. 

Of  the  $114,080,686  assessed  valuation  of  the  real  estate  in 
Yonkers,  823,000,000  consists  of  the  assessed  value  of  the  aqueducts 
of  Xew  York  City.  Judge  Alills  recently  decided  that  the  City  of 
Yonkers  has  no  right  to  assess  the  four  aqueducts.  If  his  decision 
is  sustained  $15,000,000  will  be  taken  from  the  assessed  valuation  of 
the  real  estate  in  Yonkers.    The  figures  will  then  be  as  follows  : 

Assessed  Full  Full  Valuation 

Valuation  Valuation  Per  Acre 

Mount  Vernon.... $  39,578,492  $  49,473,115  $  17,568.57 

Xew  Rochelle    40,837,281  51,046.601  7,545.91 

Yonkers    99,080,686  131,232,696  11,404.37 

31 


It  follows  from  these  figures,  that  real  estate  in  Mount  Vernon 
is  worth  almost  2^/2  times  as  much  per  acre  as  it  is  in  New  Rochelle, 
and  over  154  per  cent,  what  it  is  worth  in  Yonkers. 

TAXES. 

Having  all  these  things,  how  much  do  we  pay  for  them? 

What  do  our  schools  cost  us? 

What  does  the  city  government  cost? 

First  of  all,  out  of  every  $100  paid  in  taxes  for  the  year  ending- 
May  1,  1916,  the  taxpayers  in  our  city  will  pay  almost  exactly  $40 
for  education,  including  the  Public  Library,  and  payment  of  school 
bonds  falling  due  and  interest  on  all  school  bonds  issued  by  the 
city.  In  New  York  City  only  $22  out  of  every  $100  of  taxes  are 
spent  for  education;  in  New  Rochelle  only  $29.08  and  in  Yonkers 
only  $26.25.  In  the  case  of  New  York  City  the  school  bonds  falling- 
due  and  the  interest  on  the  school  bonds  are  not  included. 

Here  are  the  exact  figures  : 

Raised  for 
Tax  for       Education  out 
Total  Tax  Education       of  every  $100 

Mount  Vernon  $    986,931  $    392,394  $  39.76 

New  Rochelle    1,145,003  332,951  29.08 

Yonkers    3,236,781  849,621  26.25 

New  York   159,787,337  42,449,578  22.01 

Here  is  another  way  of  regarding  the  taxes  : 

In  Mount  Vernon  the  total  tax  for  all  purposes,  State,  County, 
City  and  School  is  $26.23  per  capita;  in  New  Rochelle  it  is  $36.06, 
in  Yonkers  $35.76  and  in  New  York  City  $31.71. 

The  total  taxes  in  New  Rochelle  are  37.6  per  cent,  higher  per 
capita  than  in  Mount  Vernon.  In  Yonkers  they  are  35.1  per  cent, 
higher  and  in  New  York  City  20  per  cent. 

Here  are  the  exact  figures : 

Total  Tax 

Total  Tax  Population         Per  Capita 

Mount  Vernon  $     986,931.22  37,623  $  26.23 

New  Rochelle    1,145,003.19  31,754  36.07 

Yonkers    3,236,781.49  90,502  35.76 

New  York   159,787,337.00  5,006,544  31.71 

This  is  the  way  the  taxes  in  Mount  Vernon  are  to  be  distri- 
buted for  the  year  ending  May  1,  1916: 

Total  Tax        Per  $100  of  Total  Tax 

Education   $392,394.34  $  39.76 

City  Government    472,912.32  47.92 

County  Government    108,263.46  10.97 

State  Government   13,361.10  1.35 


$986,931.22 
32 


$100.00 


Thus  the  amount  expended  for  Education  in  Mount  Vernon 
is  ahnost  as  large  as  the  total  expenditure  of  the  City  Government, 
including  Police,  Fire  Department,  Streets,  Avenues,  Sewers, 
Health  Department,  Charities,  Street  Lighting,  Rents,  City  Court, 
Corporation  Counsel,  Election  Expenses,  Interest  on  City  Debt, 
Redemption  of  Bonds,  flavor's  Office,  City  Clerk's  Office,  Common 
Council,  and  all  the  other  branches  of  the  City  Government. 

I  know  of  no  other  city  in  the  state  which  can  equal  this 
showing. 

In  this  respect  the  following  tables  arc  very  interesting  and 
instructive  : 

New  Rochelle. 

Per  $100  of 
Total  Tax  Total  Tax 

Education   $  332,951.82  $  29.08 

City  Government   683,070.03  59.65 

County  Government   115,168.19  10.06 

State  Government   13,784.65  1.21 

$1,145,003.19  $100.00 

Yonkers. 

Education   $  849,621.37  $  26.25 

City  Government                    1,995,814.72  61.66 

County  Government                  349,668.94  .  10.80 

State  Government                       41,676.46  1.29 

$3,236,781.49  $100.00 

The  State  and  County  Taxes  are  beyond  the  control  of  the 
City  Go\'ernment  or  the  Board  of  Education.  The  foregoing  figures 
show  how  very  much  more  Mount  \'ernon  spends  per  capita  for 
Education,  than  Xew  Rochelle,  Yonkers  or  New  York;  and  they 
also  show  how  very  much  less  ]\Iount  \^ernon  spends  for  its  City 
Government,  than  either  Xew  Rochelle,  Yonkers  or  Xew  York. 

Here  are  the  figures  for  the  City  Government  taken  by  them- 
selves : 

Total  Tax  Tax  Per  Capita 

Mount  Vernon   $      472,912.32  $12.57 

Xew  Rochelle                            683,070.03  21.51 

Yonkers                                  1,995,814.72  22.05 

Xew  York                            105,727,740.53  21.12 

For  those  who  wish  to  go  more  into  detail  than  is  shown  in 
the  foregoing,  the  following  comparison  will  doubtless  be  of 
interest : 


33 


Out  of  every  $100  received  in  taxes  this  year  (1915)  the  ex- 
penditures will  be  as  follows : 


Mount 

Xew 

Vernon 

Rochelle 

Yonkers 

Education   

$ 

39.70 

29.08 

26.25 

County  Government 

iu.y/ 

lU.Uo 

lU.bU 

State  Government  .  . 

1.35 

1.21 

1.29 

52.08 

40.35 

$ 

38.34 

City  Government  .  .  . 

47.92 

59.65 

61.66 

100.00 

100.00 

S 

100.00 

The  amount  appropriated  for  the  several  branches  of  the  City 
Government  for  1915  are  as  follows: 


Mount  Xew 

A'ernon  Rochelle  Yonkers 

Mayors  Office  S    7,050.00  $    4,942.01  $  11,900.00 

Board  of  Estimate   282.54  900.00 

Board  of  Contract 

and  Supplies    2,353.00 


$  7,050.00  S    5,224.55  S  15,153.00 

Office  of  City  Clerk.  .  .  .S  5,960.00  $    9,909.21  $  12,890.00 

Office  of  Comptroller.  .  4,800.00  7,450.34  20,644.50 

Office  of  City  Treas.  .  .  1,500.00  3,693.68  14.545.90 
Office  of  Receiver 

of  Taxes    3,650.00  4,577.06  6.200.00 

Office  of  Clerk  of 

Arrears    2,000.00  2,000.00 

Contingent  Fund  and 

Sundries    4,304.08  30,223.27 


$  22,214.08  $  55,853.56  S  56,280.40 

Common  Council   $  5,620.00  $    4,852.96  $  27,050.00 

Board  of  Assessors.  ..  .  5,600.00  6,329.80  17,567.00 

Civil  Service  Com   2,000.00  2,086.39  3,625.00 

City  Court    12,100.00  4,754.71  22,987.50 

Law  Department    10,950.00  5,584.24  13,460.00 

Election  Expenses  ....  14,000.00  9,997.90  27,472.00 
Rent  and  ^Maintenance  of 

Public  Buildings  .  .  8,780.00  19,730.00 


$  59,050.00        $  33,606.00  $131,891.00 
34 


708.94 


Alount  Xew 
X'ernon  Rochelle 

Office  of  Building 

Inspector   S  3,277.60        $  1,674.38 

Office  of  Plumbing- 
Inspector    3,245.00 

Office  of  City 

Electrician    1.850.00 

Board  of  Examining 

Engineers    240.00 

Examining  Board  of 

Plumbers  

Pounds  and  Pound 

Master    1,270.00 

Weights  and  :\Ieasures  500.00 

Gateman  at  Putnam  St.  1,014.70 

$  11,397.30 

Police  Department  .  .  .  .$  80,000.00 

Eire  Department   40,000.00 

Dept.  of  Public  Safety.  . 
Bureau  of  Combustibles 

$120,000.00 

Department  of  Public 

Works   $  79,200.00 

Street  Eighting   44,000.00 

Ashes  and  Garbage.  .  .  .  14,000.00 
Sewage  Disposal    7,800.00 

$145,000.00 

Health  Department  .  .  .$  8,480.00 

Dept.  of  Charities   9,420.00 

Hospitals  and 

Nurseries    8,000.00 

Parks  and  Playgrounds  750.00 
Concerts  and 

Celebrations    050.00 

Public  Baths   

Pavilion  and  Dock  

$  27,300.00        $  36,811.22 
35 


Yonkers 

S  4.090.00 


S  61,766.84 
45,933.03 


$  97,699.87 


$111,821.71 
55,117.34 
18,500.00 
5,888.21 

$191,327.26 

$  8,608.43 
9,071.51 

7,114.00 
12,017.28 


2,135.00 

225.00 

2,437.00 
4,265.00 


S    2.383.32        S  13,152.00 


$291,609.86 
189,458.45 
9,256.00 
3,363.00 

$493,687.31 


$222,586.74 
165,479.17 
104,857.20 


$492,923.11 

S  42,091.00 
22,735.00 

105.258.00 
26,216.00 

2,050.00 
9,978.00 
4,830.00 

$213,158.00 


Mount  Xcw 

\'crnon  Rochelle  \  oiikers 

Water  for  Fire 

Hydrants    $  15,109.45         $  34.320.00 

Water  Rents  for 

City  Property   2,294.28 

Fire  Insurance 

Sinking-  Fund   5,000.00 

Judgments  and 

Settlements                   4,025.94  5,054.40 


$    4,025.94  $  20,163.85  $  41,614.28 

To  Pay  Bonds  $  20,000.00  $140,000.00  $459,435.54 

Interest  on  Bonds             64,800.00  100,028.93  314,623.23 

For  Sinking  Fund   33,075.00 


$1 17,875.00        $240,028.93  $774,058.77 

Grand  Total  $513,910.99        $683,098.56  $2,231,919.37 

Estimated  Revenue  ...    41,000.00  236,104.65 


Amount  to  be  Raised 

by  Tax   $472,912.32  $683,098.56  $1,995,814.72 

Public  School   $334,405.85  $256,779.00  $669,071.85 

School  Bonds  Due              5,000.00  34,000.00  75,990.00 

Interest  on  Bonds             38,425.50  30,000.00  87,854.52 

Public  Library                  14,500.00  12,172.82  16,705.00 


$392,394.34  $332,95 1 .82  $849,62 1 .37 

State  Tax   $  13,361.18  $  13,784.62  $  41,676.46 

County  Tax                       93,938.81  97,668.19  293,017.59 

County  Tax  for  Poor..     14,324.65  17,500.00  56,651.35 


$121,624.64  $128,952.81  $391,345.40 

Total  Tax  for  State, 
County,  City  Schools 

and  Public  Library.  .$986,931.22  $1,145,003.19  $3,236,781.49 


36 


CONCLUSION. 

If  efficiency  is  to  be  measured  b}'  economy  of  cost  as  well  as 
by  the  results  achieved.  Blount  \'ernon  has  certainly  no  reason  to 
be  dissatisfied  for  the  manner  in  which  her  municipal  affairs  are 
being  administered. 

The  facts  presented  above  prove  con\  incingly  that  ours  is  a 
pretty  good  cit\'  to  be  living  in  and  raising  one's  children  in.  It 
can  be  made  even  better  than  it  is  if  the  people  will  onl}'  take  the 
trouble  to  inform  themselves  as  to  real  conditions.  Co-operation  is 
needed  to  promote  municipal  betterment,  and  that  depends  upon 
a  clear  understanding  of  facts :  upon  municipal  intelligence,  in 
other  words. 

Public  Officials  when  facing  a  perplexing  problem  often  say  : 
"I  shall  be  guided  by  public  opinion.'"  How  can  we  expect  in- 
telligent counsel  unless  the  citizens  possess  an  understanding  of  the 
situation  sufficient  to  help  them  to  know  the  real  forces  making  for 
or  against  the  well-being  of  the  people  of  ]\Iount  \'ernon:  ]\Iany 
a  good  project  has  been  lost  or  unnecessarily  delayed  by  pre\"ail- 
ing  ignorance  of  municipal  affairs.  Irresponsible  criticism  and 
"knocking"  would  soon  disappear  and  give  wa}'  to  constructive  co- 
operation, once  our  people  knew  their  city. 

Mount  \'ernon  is  really  a  business  corporation,  with  a  capital 
stock  of  $39,635,792.  You  are  a  share  holder  in  this  corporation. 
Know  your  Cit}'  I 

Respectfully  submitted. 

EDW'IX  W.  FISKE. 

]\Iavor. 


37 


Honorable  Edwin  W.  Fiske, 

Mayor  of  the  City  of  Mount  Vernon. 

Dear  Sir : — 

At  your  request  we  have  carefully  examined  the  figures  given 
in  the  foregoing  message  to  the  Common  Council  and  find  them  to 
be  correct. 

They  place  ]\Iount  Vernon  so  far  in  advance,  not  only  of  its 
neighbors  but  of  all  the  other  cities  in  the  State  of  New  York,  that 
we  deem  it  best  not  only  to  verify  the  figures,  but  to  state  the 
authorities  and  sources  upon  which  we  have  relied. 

1.  For  the  populations  of  the  cities  of  the  State  of  NewYork, 
we  have  relied  almost  wholly  on  the  State  Census  which  was  taken 
last  summer.  In  several  cases,  where  the  figures  of  the  State  Cen- 
sus have  not  been  made  public,  we  have  taken  the  estimates  of  the 
National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters  published  May  27,  1915. 

2.  For  the  population  of  the  cities  of  the  United  States  out- 
side New  York  State,  we  have  taken  the  estimates  of  the  National 
Board  of  Fire  Underwriters  above  referred  to. 

3.  The  areas  of  all  the  cities  in  the  United  States  we  have 
taken  from  the  annual  reports  of  the  National  Board  of  Fire  Under- 
writers, and  those  of  the  cities  in  Westchester  County  shown  in 
the  Twentieth  Annual  Report  of  the  Comptroller  of  the  City  of 
Mount  Vernon,  which  has  just  been  issued. 

4.  The  number  of  deaths  in  each  city  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  for  the  year  1914,  we  have  taken  from  the  monthly  bulletin 
published  by  the  State  Board  of  Health  in  February,  1915. 

The  death  rate  we  have  determined  by  dividing  the  number  of 
deaths  in  each  city  by  its  population  as  ascertained  from  the  State 
Census  or  the  Annual  Report  of  the  National  Board  of  Fire  Under- 
writers, dated  May  27,  1915. 

5.  The  comparisons  in  the  death  rate  of  Mount  Vernon  with 
those  of  the  other  cities  of  the  United  States,  we  have  based  on  the 
Mortality  Statistics  for  1913  of  the  United  States  Census  Bureau. 

6.  The  other  data  in  relation  to  the  Health  conditions  of 
Mount  Vernon,  were  verified  by  the  Health  Officer  of  our  city. 

7.  The  statistics  in  relation  to  losses  by  Fire  we  verified  from 
the  Annual  Reports  of  the  National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters. 

8.  The  statistics  in  relation  to  the  Public  School  Systems  of 
Mount  Vernon,  New  Rochelle,  Yonkers  and  the  other  cities  of  the 
State  of  New  York  were  verified  from  the  Annual  Reports  of  the 
Mount  Vernon  and  Yonkers  Boards  of  Education,  the  Report  of 

38 


the  Educational  Department  of  the  State  of  Xew  York  for  1914, 
and  the  Report  of  the  Commissioner  of  Education  of  the  United 
States  for  1914. 

Wc  also  obtained  much  valuable  information  in  ^•erification  of 
the  facts  and  figures  set  forth  in  your  message,  from  Dr.  William 
H.  Holmes,  the  Superintendent  of  the  Public  Schools  of  Blount 
Vernon,  Prof.  A.  B.  Davis,  the  Principal  of  the  High  School,  Mr. 
Clyde  O.  Thompson,  the  Principal  of  the  Commercial  High  School, 
Mr.  Hugh  H.  Stewart,  the  Principal  of  the  High  School  of  the 
Industrial  Arts,  and  Air.  W.  H.  Geer,  the  boys'  instructor  in 
athletics  and  physical  development. 

9.  The  verification  of  the  facts  and  figures  relating  to  the 
Public  Library  we  obtained  from  Miss  Frances  D.  Thomson,  the 
librarian  and  the  quarterly  publications  in  relation  to  public 
libraries  issued  by  the  University  of  the  State  of  New  York,  Novem- 
ber, 1912,  November,  1913,  and  February,  1915. 

10.  The  verification  of  the  figures  relating  to  the  erection, 
alteration  and  improvement  of  buildings  in  ]\Iount  Vernon,  Yonkers 
and  New  Rochelle,  we  obtained  from  the  Building  Inspectors  in 
each  of  those  cities. 

11.  The  statistics  as  to  public  streets,  sewers  and  other  matters 
relating  to  the  Department  of  Public  Works,  were  verified  by  the 
Commissioners  of  Public  Works  in  ]\Iount  \'ernon  and  New 
Rochelle  and  by  the  City  Engineer  of  Yonkers. 

12.  In  like  manner  the  facts  and  figures  relating  to  the  Police 
and  Fire  Departments  and  the  other  branches  of  the  city  govern- 
ment of  these  three  cities,  were  verified  by  officers  of  the  same. 

13.  For  the  verification  of  the  facts  and  figures  set  forth  in 
your  message  in  relation  to  taxes  and  expenditures  for  the  Public 
Schools,  the  City  Government,  the  County  and  State,  we  have  relied 
on  the  Twentieth  Annual  Report  of  the  Comptroller  of  ]\Iount  \'er- 
non  and  the  Budgets  of  New  Rochelle  and  Yonkers,  which  have 
been  issued  within  a  few  weeks  ;  also  upon  the  reports  of  the  Comp- 
troller of  the  City  of  New  York, 

14.  The  facts  in  regard  to  Parks,  Parkways  and  Railroad 
Facilities  are  all  matters  of  record  set  forth  in  the  reports  of  the 
Bronx  Parkway  Commission,  the  Park  Commissioner  of  New  York 
City  and  in  the  records  of  the  Public  Service  Commissions. 

We  congratulate  the  people  of  Alount  \'ernon  on  the  splendid 
showing  you  make  in  this  message. 

To  have  the  lowest  death  rate  in  the  State  of  New  York,  the 


39 


lowest  loss  by  lire,  the  highest  average  daily  attendance  in  our 
Public  Schools  and  High  Schools  in  the  State  of  New  York  and 
to  possess  all  the  other  advantages  you  have  set  forth  in  your  mes- 
sage, places  Mount  \'ernon  at  the  head  and  front  of  all  the  cities 
in  this  State  and  its  adjoining  states. 

Dated  September  25,  1915. 

JOSEPH  S.  WOOD, 

E.  M.  DAVIS, 

JOHN  F.  FAIRCHILD. 


40 


DEATH  RATE  IN 

1914. 

Per  1,000  Population. 

DpMflm  Per 

Population 

Ueatlis 

l.OOO  Population 

1. 

Mount  \'ernon 

  37,623 

^Q? 

10.42 

2 

Xew  Kochclle 

  31,754 

ou^ 

11.40 

3. 

jamcstown   .  .  . 

  37,839 

11.35 

4. 

Tonawanda  .  . 

  8,660 

11.82 

Xorth  'i'onawanda   ....  13,508 

167 

11.94 

6. 

Salamanca  .  .  . 

  8,341 

11.91 

7. 

Yonkers   

  90,502 

1  0Q4 

12.09 

8. 

Johnstown  ,  .  . 

  10,592 

1  X> 

12.43 

9. 

Portchester  .  . 

  15,095 

1Q4 

12.83 

10. 

Schenectady  , 

  80,384 

1  041 

12.94 

11. 

Xiagara  Falls 

  42,097 

551 

13.12 

12. 

Dunkirk   

  17,599 

13.21 

13. 

Olcan   

  17,981 

13.94 

14. 

Batavia  

  15,247 

?1  T 

13.96 

15. 

Rochester      .  , 

  245,077 

14.33 

10. 

Ossining-   

  12,987 

1^7 

14.42 

17. 

Elmira   

  39,847 

=;77 

J  /  / 

14.56 

18. 

Amsterdam  , 

  34,317 

407 

14.57 

19. 

White  Plains 

  17,487 

~-ijy 

14.73 

20. 

PeekskiU 

  17,327 

255 

14.74 

21. 

X^ew  York  ,  . 

  5,006,222 

74  80^ 

14.76 

22. 

Oneonta   

  10,495 

1  ^4 

14.76 

23. 

Rensselaer 

  11,027 

1  0  ^ 

14.81 

24. 

Corning   

  13.459 

—WO 

15.12 

25. 

Syracuse   

  146,583 

9  90^ 
,^,0  J 

15.14 

26. 

Lockport  .... 

  18,749 

15.18 

27. 

Cohoes   

  25,049 

000 

15.32 

28. 

W'ateryliet 

  15,037 

9^1 

15.44 

29. 

Hornell   

  14,304 

991 

15.46 

30. 

Buffalo   

  454,112 

7 

15.52 

31. 

( jloyersxille 

  21.177 

^^1 

15.63 

32. 

Ithaca   

  15.489 

15.71 

33. 

I-\ilton   

  11.135 

1  7(\ 

15.84 

34. 

Auburn  

  34.178 

~  "  -1 

16.21 

35. 

Poughkeepsie 

  32,080 

516 

16.33 

36. 

\\'atertown 

  26,899 

441 

16.42 

37. 

Port  lervis 

  9,413 

157 

16.75 

38. 

Lackawanna 

  19,012 

322 

16.91 

39. 

Oswego   

  25.4^8 

433 

17.02 

40. 

Oneida   

  9,472 

164 

17.35 

Al 

Deaths  Per 

Population  Deaths     1,000  Population 

41.  Cortland                             12,390  216  17.42 

42.  Glens  Falls                        16,307  284  17.44 

43.  Geneva                               13,232  230  17.43 

44.  Little  Falls                        13,025  230  17.67 

45.  Albany                             109,279  1,992  18.25 

46.  Bing-hamton                        55,905  1,016  18.27 

47.  Plattsburg-                          10,360  190  18.32 

48.  Kingston                           26,546  489  18.43 

49.  Beacon                               10,826  199  18.47 

50.  Saratoga  Springs                14,899  259  18.53 

51.  Newburgh                         27,596  517  18.73 

52.  Utica                                82,434  1,548  18.81 

53.  Hudson                             11,544  220  19.12 

54.  Canandaigua                        7,515  146  19.43 

55.  Middletown                       18,491  388  20.51 

56.  Troy                                74,003  1,592  21.56 

57.  Rome                                23,868  530  22.23 

58.  Ogdensburg                        16,360  427  26.10 

POPULATION  AND  AREA  OF  THE  PRINCIPAL  CITIES 

OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 
1914. 

Area  in  Population 

Population  Square  Miles      Per  Square  Mile 

1.  New  York  5,066,544  326.00  15,541 

2.  Chicago   2,450,000  191.50  12,794 

3.  Philadelphia   1,660,000  129.50  12,819 

4.  St.  Louis                  790,000  61.33  12,881 

5.  Boston                     750,000  47.00  12,958 

6.  Cleveland                  660,000  51.80  12,474 

7.  Baltimore                  600,000  31.50  19,047 

8.  Pittsburgh                 565,000  40.67  13,892 

9.  Detroit                      560,000  42.00  13,333 

10.  Buffalo                     454,112  42.00  10,812 

11.  San  Francisco  ...  .   450,000  38.87  11,577 

12.  Milwaukee                420,000  25.72  16,329 

13.  Newark,  N.  J           400,000  23.50  17,021 

14.  Jersey  City                300,000  23.00  13,043 

15.  Providence                245,000  18.26  13,417 

16.  Rochester                  245,077  21.87  11,206 

17.  Paterson,  N.  J...  .    135,000  8.75  15,429 

18.  Cambridge,  Mass     110,000  6.53  16,845 


42 


Area  in  Population 


Population           Square  Miles  Per 

Square  Mile 

19. 

T^rentnn    IST  T 

103,000 

9.25 

1 1  H'^ 

20. 

Reading"  Pa. 

105,000 

9.50 

11,053 

21. 

Ca.niden   N  J 

102,000 

9.25 

1 1 ,027 

22. 

T.awrenre  TVTa^^ 

95,000 

7.50 

12  666 

23. 

S  n  m  p  r  V 1 1 1      TVT  ^i  ^  s 

85,000 

4.50 

1 8  888 

24. 

Hoboken,  N.  J. . .  . 

75,000 

1.12 

66,694 

25. 

Savannah  Ga 

72,000 

6.72 

10,714 

26. 

Charleston,  S.  C. .  . 

60,000 

4.50 

11^216 

27. 

Bayonne,  N.  J  . . .  . 

65,000 

4.25 

15,294 

28. 

Passaic,  N.  J  

66,000 

3.50 

18,848 

29. 

Mt.  Vernon,  N.  Y. 

37,653 

4.21 

8,944 

Per  square  mile  of 

area  Mount  Vernon 

I  exceeds  in 

population 

every  other  city  in  the 

L^nited  States  except  the  twenty-eight  in 

the 

foregoing  table. 

Among  those  it  outranks  in  this  respect 

are  the  foil 

owing : 

1. 

Cincinnati   

 402,000 

70.08 

5,742 

2. 

Nev^^  Orleans  .... 

 360,000 

196.25 

1,834 

3. 

Washington,  D.  C 

 353,370 

70.00 

5,048 

4. 

Los  Angeles  .... 

 450,000 

121.25 

3,711 

5. 

Minneapolis   

 350,000 

53.50 

6,542 

6. 

Kansas  Citv,  Mo. 

 280,000 

60.00 

4,666 

7. 

Seattle,  Wash 

 303,000 

51.92 

5,836 

8. 

Indianapolis   

 260,000 

38.00 

6,842 

9. 

St.  Paul,  Minn 

 240,000 

54.44 

4,409 

10. 

Denver,  Col  

 250,000 

60.00 

4,167 

11. 

 260,000 

53.46 

4,863 

12. 

Louisville   

 250,000 

29.00 

8,620 

13. 

Richmond   

 165,000 

26.00 

6,345 

14. 

Utica   

  82,434 

12.00 

6,869 

15. 

  72,000 

8.70 

8,276 

Also  17  other  cities  with  population  between  100,000  and 
200,000  and  49  other  cities  with  population  between  50,000  and 
100,000. 


43 


POPULATION  IN  CITIES  OF  THE  STATE  OF 
NEW  YORK  OF  MORE  THAN  25,000. 


Census  Census  Increase  Per  Cent, 

of  of  In  Five  of 

1910  1915  Years  Increase 

Mount  Vernon  ..     30,919  37,623  6,704  22.4 

Yonkers                   79,803  90,153  10,350  12.9 

New  Rochcllc  ...    28,867  31,754  2,887  10.0 

Xew  York  ...  .4,766,883  5,006,554  239,671  5.0 


Jamestown   31,297  37,839  6,542  20.9 

Binghamton  .  .  .  48,433  55.905  7.472  16.5 

Poughkeepsie  ...  27,936  32,080  4,144  14.9 

Rochester   218,149  245,077  26,928  12.4 

Utica    74.419  82,434  8,015  10.8 

Schenectady  ....  72,826  80,384  7,558  10.4 

Amsterdam    31.267  34,317  3,050  9.7 

Albany    100,253  109,927  9,674  9.6 

Syracuse    137,249  146,583  9,334  6.8 

Buffalo    423.715  454,112  20,397  4.8 

Kingston    25,908  26,546  638  2.5 

Elmira   37,176  39,847  671  1.8 

Watertown    26,730  26,909  179  0.7 

Niagara  Falls  ...  30,445  42.097  11,652  38.3 


The  following  named  cities  have  lost  in  population  during  the 
past  five  years : 

Census  Census  Loss  in 


of                        of  Five  Per  Cent. 

1910                     1915  Years  Loss 

Troy                       76,813  74.003  2,810  3.7 

Auburn                    34,668  34,178  490  1.5 


There  is  only  one  of  these  cities  in  the  State  which  has  grown 
faster  than  Mount  \'ernon,  that  is  Niagara  Falls. 

The  growth  of  ]^Iount  \'ernon  has  been  more  than  twice  that 
of  Xew  Rochelle  and  almost  twice  that  of  Yonkers. 

44 


